Chrysanthemum
by AWickedMemory
Summary: Shikamaru turns down a marriage offer to Hinata for a friend's sake but starts to become strangely close to her cousin instead. When he's propositioned for Neji's hand in marriage, what will happen? No smut; language, WIP 10/13, indefinite hiatus! 9/4/11
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 01  
**Fandom:** Naruto (KISHIMOTO Masashi)  
**Pairing:** ShikaNeji; minor NaruHina on the side  
**Rating:** PG-13 for language and innuendo or sexual references, but unless I get adventurous, there isn't likely to be anything smutty.  
**A/N:**  
Heh. It's been a while since I really wrote a fanfic, not just a short drabble. Specifically, it's been over four years.  
The overwhelming majority of ShikaNeji fanfics that I've read translate Shikamaru's catchphrase as "How troublesome," but I'll be shying away from that as much as possible. "Mendoukusee" is a blunt, boyish way of referring to something that's tedious and bothersome, but I don't know any boys his age who would, in English, speak so formally like that. Maybe if Neji were the one to regularly complain, "Mendoukusai," I'd use "How troublesome," but-- god, no, not Shikamaru.  
So, let's see how this turns out-- especially considering I've seen less than ten episodes of the anime and read only two chapters of the manga, both years ago.

**Story dedicated to Aini** for writing The Way Things Are, which inspired me to start writing.

* * *

A muggy, summer day in the middle of July found eighteen year old Nara Shikamaru sauntering for the first time down the long hallways of the Hyuuga complex. Following two steps behind his parents, the young jounin was out of his usual netting and vest for once, and instead had on the more traditional robes of his family-- a hunger-green _kimono_ over the medium-brown collar of his _nagajugan_, accompanied by dark, black-brown _hakama_. Much to Yoshino's-- his mother-- dismay, his black _haori_, sporting fine, dark green vertical stripes, was draped over his arm rather than properly worn. His hair, despite the irate woman's persistent protests that morning, had remained in its trademark spiked ponytail, although his father had succumbed-- as usual-- to wearing his down around his shoulders.

Shikamaru's first thought as he looked around the sharp, clean, and completely unornamented walls, ceiling and floor was: _how boring._ Simplicity didn't typically bother him, but the sheer expanse of white made the mansion feel more sterile than Konoha's hospital.

His second, and the more preoccupying, thought was: _how hot. It's the dead of summer, doesn't this family understand indoor cooling? Tch', what a pain._

As the three-person family was led into a set of double-doors into the smaller of the Hyuuga family's formal conference rooms, the servant who had been guiding them announced their arrival to the two occupants inside before leaving to fetch some tea.

"Hiashi-san, what a pleasure to be invited into your home," Nara Shikaku began once he had settled down at the opposite end of the long table from the head of the Hyuuga family. To his right sat Yoshino, and to his left, Shikamaru dropped down lazily. Upon a glare and a sharp kick beneath the table from his mother, however, the young man sighed before sitting up politely. Shikaku stifled a smile at his indolent son's antics, accurately assuming that Hiashi would not share in his amusement. "I must admit, however, that it came as quite the surprise to be contacted by your honourable family for such an occasion."

"I apologize for my son," Yoshino added with a short bow, just a slight inclination of her head. She fixed a warning look on the boy, who eyed her back evenly.

"It's quite all right. He's a busy man, I'm sure-- I offer my thanks as well for your coming out on such limited notice," Hiashi returned stiffly, doing a marvelous job of avoiding sneering at the behaviour of the young man in question. However good this boy was, he would have to shape up his public persona.

Between Hiashi and Shikamaru, Hinata sat with a blank face, head tipped down to avoid anybody's eyes. She was dressed in a soft lavender _furisode_ with a pale, creamy-orange _nagajugan_ and a light blue _haori_ draped over her shoulders.

"Busy weaseling his way out of work," Shikaku laughed, breaking some of the formal tension in the room-- but just a little. Another servant entered then with a tray of tea, which she served to her masters and guests before taking her leave.

Giving the visitors a moment to settle in, Hiashi finally cleared his throat to begin the _o-miai_.

"Well, then. As I'm sure you are well aware, my daughter has reached the age at which locating a suitable partner has become something of a priority." Shikaku nodded, Yoshino waited, and Shikamaru tried not to yawn. Hiashi continued. "As the heiress to the Hyuuga clan, it seems imperative to find a man who would be strong enough to help her carry our clan forward."

Yoshino nodded. "As every clan desires," she agreed.

"Of course. Up until now, we've attempted to keep the main house as pure as possible. Unfortunately, however, there is a current lack of male relatives who are available for marriage, short of my nephew-- but being so close in blood, for the well-being of future descendants, I am disinclined to condone such a union." Hiashi took a leisurely sip of his tea, which Shikaku and Yoshino automatically mimicked, followed by Hinata; Shikamaru's tea remained untouched.

"For several years now, I have been studying the young men of Konoha Village to seek potential candidates. Naturally, there were a number of factors to consider: strength in fighting skill, status and achievements, intelligence, family history-- bloodline. It's well-known throughout the village how your son was the only genin to pass the chuunin exams within his first year as an academy graduate, and Asuma-san made no secret of his pupil's stellar intellect. The Nara clan is also renowned for its medicine, and despite the years, it has managed to persist with unmatched steadiness and peace."

"We lead modest lives," Shikaku dismissed with casual humility.

Hiashi nodded. "Indeed. And my heiress is a modest child, but despite her age, still just that-- a child. As a concerned father, I'd like to see her properly cared for, by a man with an excellent head on his shoulders. In all my research, your Shikamaru-san's name has come up time and time again, and he comes highly recommended by my own colleagues who have had the wonderful opportunity to work with him as well."

"Thank you for your praise, and naturally, we're delighted with the idea of uniting the Nara and Hyuuga clans," Yoshino spoke. "I, too, have heard of Hinata-san's gentle, nurturing nature. Should she have the patience for our son's trying temperament, and should both parties agree, we'd, of course, be happy to proceed."

"Wonderful. A formal engagement may be prepared at any moment, and naturally, our home is open to the event. As the family of the bride, we are willing to take responsibility for preparation of the engagement and wedding ceremonies, and--"

"Forgive my interruption," Shikaku spoke suddenly, "but perhaps we should give the children a few moments to discuss the situation. After all, they are the ones who would be married should the engagement be followed through to completion."

Pausing to consider that, Hiashi frowned faintly before smoothing out his brow and addressing his daughter. "Hinata. Hi-- _Hinata_," Hiashi repeated firmly when the girl didn't respond, lost in her own thoughts.

Head snapping up, she flushed. "Y-- yes, father?"

"Does this arrangement please you, or would you like to speak with Shikamaru-san regarding the matter?"

"I... ah, I-- ah... um..." Clearing her throat, Hinata lowered her head again submissively. "I shall do whatever is your bidding, father."

"Good. Then, Shikamaru-san-- you have been awfully quiet. Do you have any objections?"

"Not really. Hinata's a nice girl," Shikamaru conceded in an idle tone as he fought to smother another yawn. "But..." He let his voice trail off as his mother shot him a stern look, warning him not to mess things up. Having long ago ceased being intimidated by her, however, he was unaffected by the look that cowed so many others.

"'But'?" Hiashi echoed impatiently.

"Well, I'm not sure if this is really my place to bring this up, but--"_Ah, what a pain in the ass. Like I'd ever want to deal with clan politics._ Lifting a hand to scratch his neck, Shikamaru lifted his black eyes to the formidable clan leader. "Anyway, I'll have to check with a friend of mine first."

"A-- friend?" Hiashi asked, only a slight confusion in his eyes betraying the fact that the statement had completely thrown him off-guard. Hinata blinked, but didn't dare raise her head.

"Yeah. See, I have this thing for camaraderie. If he's fine with it, sure, I'll go ahead and marry her. But seeing as how he's in love with your daughter, I wouldn't want to rush in and agree to anything without talking to him first."

As the weight of his casual words settled in, Shikamaru finally gave in and let out a small yawn, his sleeve hiding most of his face from Hiashi's stare. Glancing at Hinata, he couldn't help but smirk at the startled girl's fiery red face.

Recovering quickly from his shock-- or seeming to, at least, but really, couldn't he have found this out _sooner_?-- Hiashi shook his head. "I hadn't heard-- well. Might I ask who this individual is? Perhaps it is he I should be speaking to."

Yoshino winced, simultaneously disappointed and relieved. It would certainly be something to boast about, had she managed to marry her son off to a Hyuuga, but she knew Shikamaru well enough to know that such a rigid lifestyle would not have been to his liking. In fact, she was positive that he would have completely ignored it, undoubtedly causing upset along the way. Still, a mother could always hope...

Shikaku, on the other had, was doing his best not to laugh. Leave it to his son to hold off mentioning information like this until all of the other cards had already been laid out on the table.

Shikamaru tilted his head from side to side, pondering. "Hm... much as I'd love to tell you and hurry this all along for them, I'm not sure I'm at liberty to say. This friend hasn't mentioned his affections directly, although it seems fairly obvious to me, but I'd imagine he's afraid of rejection. I'll be sure to let him know, though, and maybe he'll get the nerve to approach you on his own. He seems the sort who'd get on your nerves at first, but he really is a good guy. Much more ambitious than I am, too. Anyway, is there anything else you need me for?"

"... No, I suppose not. Hinata, do you have any objections?"

Jumping at being addressed again, Hinata shyly peered up at Shikamaru through her bangs. _He can't mean... no, that would be too much to hope for-- but then who...?_ "N-- no, father."

"I see. Then, I suppose, the engagement shall be suspended until further notice. Please do contact me with whatever you find, Shikamaru-san." With that, Hiashi stood, signalling the end of the visit. Shikamaru rose tiredly to his feet a moment after him, followed by Shikaku and Yoshino, then Hinata. With no more words exchanged between them, Hiashi led the Nara family out into the front hall, where he summoned a servant to take them to the door. Thanking them again for coming, he turned and headed away to the study.

As they turned to go, Hinata reached out to touch Shikamaru's sleeve. Her peer paused to eye her expressionlessly.

"Um... I... I know that you told father that y... you couldn't... tell him who it was, but..." Hinata's receding blush began to trickle back again, creeping down her pale neck and dipping beneath the stiff collar of her silken attire. "Um... you didn't, by any chance, mean...?"

Shikamaru smirked again. "I get the feeling you'll be finding out very, very soon." Waving before the girl could ask any more, he stepped outside and let the door shut after him.

He was met by his mother's furious glare. Yoshino opened her mouth as if to rant at him before seeming to change her mind, storming down the street and leaving Shikaku to go chasing after her. Shikamaru slowly blinked at his mother, then sighed. He'd be in for an earful once he got home.

Troublesome or not, maybe it was finally time to leave the nest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 02  
**A/N: **Story dedicated to **Aini** for writing "The Way Things Are."

* * *

Three days later found Shikamaru reluctantly dragging himself down a side street on his way to the Hokage's tower. Muttering complaints under his breath at the ungodly hour-- why couldn't the Hokage wait until_after_ noon to demand the analysis?-- he sleepily browsed through a folder of papers in his hand regarding the going-ons in several nearby villages, attention occasionally drifting as the hour was far too early for his liking.

As he turned the corner onto the main road, he heard the hurried footsteps just a little too late.

The folder went flying as Shikamaru found himself suddenly sprawled on the cobblestone floor, the weight of another body collapsed against him. "Damn it!" the offending party cursed as he sat up, rubbing his knee as he did.

Shikamaru sighed. "Good morning to you, too, Neji." Looking around at the scattered papers, he got to one knee and reached out to collect them when the older boy suddenly sprang to his feet and ducked into the side street he had just come from. "Wha--"

"Shut up!" Neji hissed as he flattened himself against the wall, mostly concealed by a dumpster.

Frowning in confusion, Shikamaru looked up in time to see a middle-aged woman come into view from over the hill, looking around. Although she wore classic robes of the Hyuuga family, her eyes were blue-- obviously, somebody who had married into the family.

When the woman spotted Shikamaru, she hurried over. Shikamaru stood and discretely shifted to better block Neji as the woman paused to catch her breath. "Are you all right?" he asked, trying not to sound impatient as he glanced at the papers still on the ground.

"Oh, yes, dear, thank you for asking. I was just wondering-- did somebody run by here a moment ago?" the woman asked. "See, I'm looking for Hyuuga Neji-- are you familiar with him?"

"He's an acquaintance, yes," Shikamaru replied monotonously, tilting his head. "Why, is something the matter?"

"Oh, well, I was hoping to discuss some-- yes, some family matters with him, see," the woman tittered. "But that boy-- it seems whenever I come to visit, he's away from home."

"Hmm..." Feeling an intense glare digging into the back of his head, Shikamaru resisted the impulse to roll his eyes. "Well, I thought I heard somebody running ahead when I was coming out of this street, but I wasn't paying attention to where they were going," he shrugged, half-heartedly attempting an apologetic tone. "They didn't pass me, at any rate. If I weren't on my way to the godaime, I would help you look--"

"Oh, dear, how kind of you to offer--"

"-- but our Hokage doesn't take kindly to lateness, I'm afraid," Shikamaru interrupted firmly. "In any case, I wish you luck."

"Oh... well..."

"Maybe if you find Hinata, you can ask her to let you know where Neji's gone," Shikamaru suggested, pointedly glancing at his scattered papers again.

"I suppose..."

"Good luck."

Finally realizing that she wouldn't be able to guilt this man into helping her, the woman pouted a bit. "Then I suppose I shall be off."

"All right."

Making an irritated noise, the woman turned and stalked on down the street. Once she was safely out of sight, Shikamaru glanced back over his shoulder in time to see Neji step away from the wall. "You owe me," he commented idly. "What was _that_ all about?"

Glancing back down the street in paranoia, Neji crossed his arms with an annoyed look. "_O-miai_," he replied in a flat tone.

Immediately understanding, Shikamaru nodded. "I see. But you know, you can't hide forever. It's just an arranged contract, and you don't like people anyway-- does it matter who you end up married to?"

Neji bristled a bit. "I'd still like the _choice_, thank you."

"Then choose between the _o-miai_ candidates. It's not like a meeting is going to lock you into anything."

"I know, but it's still so..."

"Troublesome?"

Although he tried not to smile, the corner of Neji's mouth quirked up. "Yes, exactly."

There was a moment of silence before Shikamaru leaned down to pick up his papers. Neji hesitated, then dropped to one knee and began to help; after all, it was his fault everything had fallen in the first place. Both young men stood again, and Neji noticed with a sigh that the other, like most of the males of their age range, had grown taller than him.

He held out the papers, but didn't let go. "... I heard what you did for my cousin," he said suddenly, voice quiet. "That was... unexpectedly charitable of you."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "Charitable, huh? I wouldn't go that far."

"Turning down a potentially excellent marriage proposition for yourself, for the sake of somebody else who's never had the nerve to come forward?"

"Mmhmm. It's not his style to stay in the shadows, really-- that's more my job. He'll come through," Shikamaru assured.

Neji grimaced. Every cell in him cringed, not really wanting to know the answer to his next question, but some masochistic instinct urged him to press forward anyway. "... It's not Naruto, is it?" he asked, although his fatalistic tone already suggested that he knew otherwise.

Shikamaru's smirk broadened. "Why the disgust? Would you rather hear that it's Kiba or Shino?"

"Shino has about as much interest in people as a rock," Neji replied flatly. "And the other..." He shook his head. "He's too wild. He's not her type."

"Really?" Shikamaru asked. "Well, he at least _used_ to be sweet on her, you know."

"He-- what?" Neji's pale eyes widened. "You're... kidding." The younger man shook his head, and Neji let go of the papers to step back, looking a little green. "Thank you, I feel ill now."

"You really think he's much wilder than Naruto?" Shikamaru asked curiously.

"Naruto's an idiot. The Inuzuka thinks more, he just thinks..."

"Pervertedly?" Shikamaru offered. Another smirk spread over his face at Neji's uncomfortable expression, and he chuckled quietly. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure he's got a thing for Shino now anyway."

Taking a moment to process that, Neji blinked at the jounin. "You mean he's--"

"Neeeejiiii!"

Neji and Shikamaru froze before slowly turning their heads to look at the woman rapidly approaching. Sighing and muttering something about a persistent bitch, Shikamaru flipped through the folder to pull out a small half-sheet of paper, fetching a pen from his pocket to write something down. _Why am I bothering? Oh, what the hell. I wouldn't want to be him right now._ He pushed it at Neji. "I'm on my way to the hokage right now, but if you need a place to hide later, you're welcome to try coming by. Just knock first," he offered quietly to the startled young man. "Good luck." Adjusting his folder, he stepped away and headed toward the woman, walking past her before she could address him again.

Staring after him in surprised uncertainty, Neji forgot to run until his relative was almost upon him. Muttering obscenities under his breath as she drew nearer, he gave up and sighed as the woman grabbed his arm and began dragging him back toward the Hyuuga compound, complaining at rude youngsters these days and having to run all over the village looking for him. "Honestly, child, I'm starting to think marrying you would give my Wana-chan gray hairs-- this is the second time this month I've traveled out to Konoha Village to come see you, and you're proving insufferably difficult to ever track down--!"

Doing his best not to sulk, Neji apologized with forced politeness as he followed after.

* * *

**Footnotes:**  
Wana (the name of the relative Neji's distant relative is trying to arrange an _o-miai_ for) means "trap."


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 03  
**A/N:**  
I have no idea how somebody graduates from chuunin to jounin. XD So I'm going to fib on that entirely. Not that it's in this chapter anyway, except as a passing mention.  
I also have no idea if one Byakugan user can sense when another uses it. :D So please, enlighten me. I may or may not change it in the story, but good to know.  
Story dedicated to **Aini** for writing "The Way Things Are"

* * *

Shikamaru left for a mission the next morning, and didn't return for three weeks. The mission itself hadn't been particularly difficult in nature-- a general escort situation for a wealthy family with a cautious mother-- and the worst trouble they'd run into along the way was a caravan of would-be robbers who were quite readily discouraged by Kage Mane and Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu. However, as the family he was escorting had a particularly boy-crazy adolescent daughter and a young son whose energy level and tendency for mischief would have given Naruto a run for his ramen, it proved to be far more harrowing than the jounin had expected.

_"Hey, Shikamaru? It's okay if I call you that, right? Do you have a girlfriend?"  
"Nara-san, look at me!"  
"GET DOWN FROM THERE, MISTER! Nara-san, I'm sorry, could you...?"  
"Kids, honey, settle down."  
"Hey, Shika-chan--"  
"... What did you call me?"  
"Oooooh, Mieko-chan's calling Nara-san names!"  
"I did not!"  
"Did too!"  
"You didn't even hear what we were talking about!"  
"All right, quit bickering. Mieko, come here and leave poor Nara-san alone. __Masashi!__ You're going to break your neck!"  
"Shikamaru-chan--"  
"Nara-san."  
Pout. "Do I really have to call you that? You're not __that__ much older than me."  
"You're thirteen."  
"I'm a mature thirteen."  
"HAHAHAHA. You? Mature?"  
"Shut __up__, baka-Masa! Nara-chan, what kind of girl do you like?"  
"__Not__ your kind."_

"I'm going to _maim_ Tsunade for this goddamn mission," Shikamaru muttered as he headed home with the intention of sleeping for the next two days straight. No grumbling father, no shrieking mother-- moving out was definitely one of the best decisions he'd ever made. Even if it meant doing his own housework, the complete solitude he was able to enjoy in his new apartment was a blessing he intended to indulge in to the fullest.

Tsunade's mission report could wait.

The Fates, however, seemed to have other things on their minds.

It was early evening when the persistent knocking broke through Shikamaru's doze. Grumbling, the weary jounin forced himself from his bed and dragged himself out the open bedroom door, across the main room, and to the source of the knocking. Peering through the eyehole, he frowned in confusion to see Hyuuga Neji standing on the other side, looking around the hall nervously. _What the hell...?_ he wondered as he reached out for the door before abruptly recalling writing down his address for the older man. _Well, that's what I get for being nice._ Sighing, he unlocked the door and pulled it open.

"Hey," he greeted, lounging against the doorframe. "Problem?"

Obviously trying to swallow his pride at the idea of turning to the younger man for assistance, Neji crossed his arms. "I didn't intend to ever take you up on this, but I'm tired of running all over Konoha. Does your offer still stand?"

Raising an eyebrow, Shikamaru stifled the urge to smirk. _Well, well, well-- the Hyuuga prodigy coming to me for help? I don't think I'd mind having him in my debt._ "Sure," he replied, stepping back and drawing the door open wider to allow the older man in. He kept his arm on the doorframe, however, forcing Neji to duck under it to enter-- a reminder that it_was_ his home, and he wouldn't go out of his way to be accommodating. Shikamaru moved to close the door.

And not a moment too soon. Just before the lock could slide into place, he heard a door opening down the hall and somebody's _geta_s click-clacking sharply toward them. Shikamaru curiously reopened the door a crack, listening.

"Close it before she gets here!" Neji hissed, pushing it shut again and locking it.

Shikamaru stared at him for a moment before shaking his head and heading for the kitchen to get a drink. "I never figured one of the noble, self-contained Hyuugas to be the paranoid, panicking sort," he commented idly, taking amusement in Neji's irritated twitch. "Another aunt, another _o-miai_?" He poured two glasses of milk, putting the carton back in the refrigerator and sliding one of the glasses to Neji across the open counter.

Neji shook his head as he accepted the glass with a murmur of thanks. "A family friend, I think. She came to visit yesterday evening with a photo of her daughter."

"And?"

"And what?"

Sigh. "What was she like?"

Neji grimaced. "She looked like a spoiled rotten pig," he replied in a flat tone. Shikamaru made a sound that was somewhere between a scoff and a laugh.

"At least she didn't bring the girl _with_ her," he pointed out, moving over to drop onto the couch that faced the sliding door to the balcony. "I've just spent the last three weeks with a thirteen year old trying to hang off of me every second." Peering over his shoulder at the young man still hovering at the doorway, he smiled wryly. "You can come in, you know."

"... What the hell kind of mission is that for a jounin?" Neji asked as he hesitantly approached. Watching him, Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle, and Neji's wary expression instantly turned into a scowl. "What's so funny?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "You. I'm not going to bite, you know-- you don't have to act like you're walking into a deathtrap." He smirked as Neji settled himself on the far end, waiting until the brunette lifted his glass to take a drink. "So big, bad uncle Hyuuga's hurrying to marry off his brats, then? Wonder what he plans to do with the place when everyone's well-wedded and well-bedded."

Choking on the milk, Neji began coughing, although he made sure to get a few nasty glares in between. "Thanks," he muttered sarcastically when he could breathe again.

"You're very welcome," Shikamaru returned, pleased at the reaction. _I don't think I'll tell him how easy he is to provoke. Yet._

After another good, long glare, Neji finally looked around the room. The walls were a light green, although the ceiling was white. To his left was the doorway, behind the couch was the kitchen, and the right led off to the bathroom and bedroom. Aside from the couch, there were two bookshelves against the bedroom wall, and a potted plant sat on the balcony outside-- no doubt placed there by Yoshino rather than Shikamaru himself. In front of them was a dark brown birch coffee table, atop which sat what appeared to be a thick notebook. "What's this...?" He reached out to the notebook, pausing with his hand on the cover. "May I?"

Shikamaru shrugged indifferently, and Neji set down his own drink to pick the notebook up. The covers were a brownish-gray, although the paper inside had a yellowish hue that gave them an old, worn look. Opening the cover, he found a landscape sketch that was mostly trees and clouds, although a few rooftops and windows were visible near the base of the picture as well. In one such window, a woman was leaning out to beat a blanket against the wall. "What's this from?"

Shikamaru yawned. "Ask me that again in about twenty minutes."

Neji gave him an odd look for the cryptic response, but decided to let it go for now-- after all, he _was_ currently in the other man's debt. Instead, he turned the page and came upon a rainy street where a child huddled by a dumpster, a scrawny cat drenched beside it. _How depressing_, Neji thought, turning the page again, then again, then again.

Most of the pictures were village scenery, but one about mid-way through made him pause. It was from a higher-up perspective surrounded by leaves, as if the artist had been looking down from the branches of a tree. Just beneath the branches, leaning against the tree trunk, was-- unmistakably-- Hinata. In the distance, barely even on the paper, Naruto was practicing some taijutsu.

'_Did you draw these?_' seemed to be a ridiculous question-- why else would they be here?-- so Neji asked instead, "How long have you been drawing? These are really good." The prideful, elitist part of him silently sneered, _Is there anything he __can't__ do?_ but the rest shushed him up quickly. After all, it shouldn't have been a surprise, really. He'd seen the quick diagram years before, on the first mission to retrieve Sasuke from Sound-- a rough, hasty picture that still clearly captured who each figure was, despite the simplicity. It hadn't occurred to him to wonder about it then.

Shrugging again, Shikamaru got up to put his empty glass in the sink. "That depends on what you mean. The first time a kid picks up a pencil and tries to mimic writing, it's basically drawing, isn't it?"

"Seriously drawing," Neji corrected, looking up at him with the suspicion that this wouldn't be a question he'd ever get a satisfying answer to.

"Define 'seriously'."

"... Practicing with the clear intent to improve."

"Ah." Seeming satisfied with that definition, Shikamaru returned to lean against the back of the couch, hovering over the brunette as he considered the revised inquiry. "Never started, I guess."

_That wasn't what I was expecting._ Neji frowned up at him. "Quit playing games-- you know what I mean."

Shikamaru smiled lazily down at him. "Actually, no, I really don't. I draw when the mood strikes me, not with any intention to improve. Not everything is about 'getting better'."

_'Not everything is about getting better.'_ The casually spoken statement struck him hard, and Neji's hand froze midway through turning another page.

He realized that he'd never looked at anything that way before. For as far back as he could remember, he'd been in competition-- not with Hinata, but with the idea of the main house and all it represented. For that, he'd lived by the mantra of _be faster and stronger, think sharper, learn more, never back down._ He'd been top of his class at the ninja academy, whereas Shikamaru had nearly flunked out (or so he heard); and yet, who was the chuunin and who was the jounin now? Dammit, Neji had a year on him, but he_still_ hadn't ranked yet, and not for lack of trying.

Several minutes of silence went by before Neji came ambling out of his thoughts to return to the present. Blinking, he shook his head to clear it before glancing at Shikamaru. In that short time, the taller man had returned to his perch on the couch with his elbow against the armrest, fingers at his temple as he dozed. Suddenly not wanting to be there anymore, Neji put the book down and finished his milk.

Before he could stand to leave, however, there was a hesitant knock followed by another. Feeling a familiar chakra presence, he cursed under his breath and stood with Shikamaru as the other nin grumbled on his way to the door.

Shikamaru opened it and stared at Hinata blankly for a moment before stepping aside to let her in. Blushing, she dipped her head in thanks and stepped inside before lifting her gaze to her cousin.

"N-- Neji-niisan, father, um..."

"Sent you to come get me," Neji finished with a sigh. She nodded in confirmation. "Do me a favour-- tell him I'll come back when that crazy lady's gone."

"H... he said that... um... that you'd say that," Hinata stumbled, wincing at being caught in the middle of a confrontation between uncle and nephew. "And, um..." She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. "He said she's the reason you're to come home, because she'd like to set up an _o-mi_--"

"Out of the question," Neji interrupted, narrowing his eyes. "Looking at her kid's photo makes me feel ill, it's not even worth meeting her."

"Maybe i-i-it was a bad ph... photo," Hinata suggested, eyes downcast. "I-- I mean, if y-you don't meet with her... um, m-maybe you should, ah... give her a chance?"

Leaning in just enough to make his cousin go red and back up instinctively, Neji smiled. "Nice philosophy. I guess you should meet up with every guy that anybody suggests, then? Just to 'give them a chance', instead of pining away for your ridiculous childhood crush."

Blush deepening, Hinata's eyes widened and she stepped back again to stand in the doorframe. "I-- I don't--"

"Yeah, actually, you do. Everybody but him knows it," Shikamaru drawled. Hinata jumped at the unexpected voice, glancing up at Shikamaru in surprise; the jounin snorted in response. "Yes, I_ am_ still here."

"Oh, I..."

"You wanna finish this conversation inside? 'Cause my neighbors can get _really_ damn nosy sometimes." Shikamaru gestured for Hinata to come all the way in rather than hovering indecisively, and closed the door behind her. "You need a drink or anything?"

Hinata shook her head. "N... no, thank you." She looked over at Neji again, who was leaning against the kitchen counter with his arms crossed. "Neji-niisan..."

"I'm not going back," Neji repeated. "If I have to attend_ o-miai_ from time to time, I will, but the less time I have to spend hearing about it in advance, the better."

"Sh... shall I tell father to... ah... go ahead and arrange it, then?"

Neji glared at her. "Not this one. Did you see her photo? She looks like the sort of girl who should've been aborted."

"Nii-san!" Hinata protested in horror as Shikamaru smirked. She put her hands to her flushed cheeks, shaking her head. "That's an _awful_ thing to say!"

_Knock! Knock!_

Not even looking outside this time, Shikamaru opened the door. "Apparently we're having a party today," he remarked in an undelighted tone.

Naruto grinned at him. "A party? Really?? COOL! I'll go--"

"_No_, idiot, I was being facetious."

"Fa-what now?" Naruto shook his head. "Anyway, I ran into Ino on the way here, and she asked me to give this to you." He shoved a book at Shikamaru, who calmly received it. "But you should_ totally_ throw a party! That'd be awesome! Can I come in? I haven't seen your new place yet. I never saw your old place, either, did I? Hey, Neji, what're you doing here? I didn't know you and Shikamaru were friends. Oh, hey, Hinata!" Grin broadening further upon spotting the girl, who blushed and mumbled a greeting back, Naruto entered uninvited to peer questioningly at her. "You okay?"

"Y-- yes, thank you," Hinata managed, still averting her eyes.

Stepping over by Shikamaru, Neji muttered under his breath, "This is almost painful."

"I know," Shikamaru agreed in the same tone before raising his voice. "You done yet?"

Naruto laughed. "I guess. So there's really no party? Damn!-- sorry, Hina-chan-- and here I was, all hungry, too. Hey, why don't we go for ramen?"

Shikamaru grimaced. "Sounds great for you. You should go. I'll stay here."

"Awww, c'mon, Shikamaru!" Naruto insisted. "You'll come, too, won't you? Neji?"

Neji glowered.

"Hey, Uzumaki-- I've been home from a pain-in-the-ass mission for less than two hours. I intend to spend the evening in peace and _quiet_, so don't expect me to go along with whatever trouble you'll get yourself into." Shikamaru gestured pointedly at the door. "You done yet?"

"Aww," Naruto pouted, "it's no fun to eat by myself! Hina-chan, you wanna come with me? I'll pay!"

Hinata's eyes widened. _Like a... date?_ "I, uh, I... um..."

"Great!" Taking her arm, Naruto began to tug her out the door. Hiashi's order was long forgotten as the poor girl's mind blanked, and when Neji reached out to make Naruto let go of his cousin, Shikamaru stopped him. Waiting until they were out the door and down the hall, Shikamaru finally locked them in again. "He's not going to do anything to her, relax."

Neji turned his irritated look to the taller man. "You just sent her out. On a _date_. With _Naruto_," he growled.

Shikamaru scratched his neck as he yawned, heading for the kitchen again. "Well, it got her off your back, right?"

"I guess. By the way, it's been twenty minutes," Neji added offhandedly. "Going to tell me what that sketch is from?"

Sighing, Shikamaru gestured for Neji to follow him as he slipped into his bedroom. Like the living room, it was quite plain: a bed, a nightstand, a door to the closet, and a bookshelf. There was a window on the far wall, however, and it was there that Shikamaru paused. He motioned for Neji to look outside.

Standing in front of the window, Neji peered out curiously. He saw the building and trees like in the picture, but something was missing. What was it...?

After a few moments, a window on the adjacent building opened up and a woman leaned out to beat a blanket against the wall. Neji blinked.

"Like clockwork," Shikamaru smirked. "Anyway, what do you want for dinner?"

For the rest of the evening, the two cooked-- Shikamaru did, at any rate-- and ate, washed up, read for a while, and went to bed. Shikamaru fetched some extra blankets for Neji, who opted to spread them out on the floor rather than crashing on the couch, then retired to his own room. Noticing that he left the door open, Neji wondered if it was because he was there-- then decided that it really didn't matter. Crawling under the covers, he closed his eyes.

Within minutes, he was fast asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 04  
**A/N:**  
Okay, I'm an obsessive person. I drew a floorplan for Shikamaru's apartment. Unfortunately, FFNet strips URLs. Sigh.

There's something exceedingly dissatisfying at times about how this chapter turned out, but I can't figure out what. So whatever. Here it is. v

**UPDATE:** As the lovely penname informed me, in Shippuden, Neji is the jounin and Shikamaru is still chuunin. XD This going back to "I haven't seen/read it!" and fics being a scattering of all sorts of rankings, in addition to the character guide I was using apparently being wrong... in short, oops. But I'm going to leave it at ShikamaruJounin and NejiChuunin because this chapter won't make sense otherwise. bows low in apology

There's something exceedingly dissatisfying about how this chapter turned out, but I can't figure out what. So whatever. Here it is!

**REVIEW RESPONSES:**

BrevityofWit: He doesn't have any drawings of Neji yet, but he will in chapter **-beep-**. :P And... I have a confession to make. I finished chapter four already, but I forgot to post it here. XD So here you go. XD

DOKIDOKIpanic: Oh my god. I LOVE your username. XD It reminds me of a friend of mine... teehee. Anyway, thank you!

anabel sinclair: Thank you! I'm trying not to screw it up. XD

* * *

6:30 AM: The first to rise the next morning, Neji took a quick shower before folding up the blankets and setting them on the couch. He settled down with Shikamaru's artbook again, flipping through and examining each picture more carefully.

7:45 AM: Once he'd gone cover-to-cover, he took a look at Shikamaru's shelves, selected a book, and curled up on the couch to read.

9:50 AM: His stomach grumbled at the same time he rose again to put the completed book away. He pulled out another.

10:50 AM: Finishing this shorter book as well, Neji returned it to the bookshelf. He frowned as he gazed outside the balcony, observing that it was now the middle of the day, and his host _still_ hadn't gotten up.

11:10 AM: Giving up after another twenty minutes, he took his pillow, entered Shikamaru's bedroom-- he'd left the door open, after all-- and eyed the curled up bundle of blankets. _It's summer, what does he need a blanket __and__ three sheets for?_ he thought with disdain. Walking closer, Neji tilted his head, examining the best angle. He lifted the pillow, weighing it thoughtfully-- then swung, smacking the sleeping ninja with it. "How late are you planning to sleep?" he griped.

Jumping at the attack and nearly rolling off the bed in his tangle of blankets, Shikamaru glared sleepily at the Hyuuga. He narrowed his dark eyes, silent, but he hardly looked threatening with his drowsy head and sleep-mussed hair being the only things visible from outside of the blankets.

"Well?" Unnerved by the non-reaction, Neji frowned and crossed his arms-- before the pillow was pulled from his loose grip by a hand-shaped shadow, and he suddenly found himself getting hit with it instead. "H-- you-- What?! Wh-- argh! Stop that!" Neji cried as he used his arms to block the pillow that continued to assault him, giving him no time to even make a seal of his own. He backed away from the bed several steps, but the pillow-barrage simply followed after.

Then, without any further notice, the pillow dropped harmlessly onto the ground. Neji stared at it in mild shock, arms still upraised, and unable to fully comprehend the fact that he had just gotten viciously attacked to the point of defenselessness-- by a _pillow_.

"Good morning to you, too," Shikamaru drawled as he finally untangled himself from the covers-- and Neji couldn't help but notice the fact that Shikamaru apparently didn't wear a shirt to bed, but good god, that man had better not be in the habit of walking around in his birthday suit-- enough to reach over to his nightstand, open the drawer, and remove a pack of cigarettes and some matches. Lighting the cancerstick, he leaned back against the headboard and yawned. "Might I ask why you felt the need to pummel me with my own pillow?"

"Do you realize how late it is?" Neji demanded as he removed the wrap from his now-mussed hair, running his hand through the long, dark locks in an effort to smooth out the fresh mess before retying it. Although he wasn't nearly as fussy with his hair as people seemed to think, the struggle moments before had pulled half of it loose and spread irritating strands all over his face. "How do you get anything done if you sleep nearly to noon like this? And what do you think you're doing, smoking in your _bed_? The ashes will get everywhere!"

Shikamaru shrugged one shoulder lazily, tapping the end of the cigarette against the ashtray on the nightstand. "You would make an alarmingly good housewife, Hyuuga," he drawled. "Perfect portrait of my mother right there."

"Very funny," Neji snapped sarcastically.

The other man rolled his eyes. _Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the blankets._ "You always this grumpy in the mornings?"

Neji shook his head, more of an exasperated gesture rather than actually in response to the question. "Aren't you even _hungry_? It's been almost twenty-four hours since we ate."

"Is that what this was about? Missing breakfast?" Shikamaru let out a slow breath of smoke. "You're welcome to anything in the kitchen, y'know." A thought occurred to him, and he looked at Neji again. "How long have you been up, anyway?"

Neji crossed his arms. "Five hours," he replied in a flat voice.

Shikamaru gave a low whistle. "Crazy, why would you do that? Do you _ever_ sleep in?"

"Why would I?" Neji frowned. "Sleeping in is a waste of time when I could be doing more productive things. Besides, Hiashi-sama doesn't allow us to sleep past eight." He blinked at Shikamaru's horrified expression. "What?"

"Has he... _always_ been like that?" Shikamaru asked hesitantly. When Neji cautiously nodded, the older nin grimaced and motioned for Neji to come closer as he put out his cigarette and set it on the ashtray.

Neji hesitated, intuitively not trusting what Shikamaru may do after that sort of reaction, but took a step closer. Shikamaru gestured for more, but this time, Neji stood his ground. "What is it?" he asked irritably. Shikamaru eyed him thoughtfully for a moment, then put his hands together. Realizing what he was about to do, Neji's eyes widened and he bolted to the side... but he was a moment too late.

The shadows holding his arms suddenly lifted him bodily into the air before more took hold of his legs. "What the hell are you doing?!" he shouted, struggling to writhe free of the jutsu. When he found himself being gently laid down on the bed, however, he froze and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Nara--"

"Hyuuga," Shikamaru returned evenly, "shut up and go back to sleep." Letting go of the jutsu, he grabbed one of the blankets and dropped it around the startled ninja staring up at him. Neji tried to sit up, but Shikamaru pushed him back down with a frown and held the blanket in place. "Your uncle's not here. Go back to sleep."

"I've been up for five hours, I'm not going to be able to just fall asleep in the middle of the day like that," Neji snapped, briefly pausing in fighting off the covers to eye the Nara as if he'd gone insane.

"Then close your eyes and pretend. Rest and relaxation are _good_ for you."

"This isn't relaxing!"

"It would be if you'd quit throwing a hissy-fit."

"Get_off_ me, Nara."

"If you promise to shut up and try." Shikamaru smirked. "Can't do you any harm, can it? Stop thinking about training, or what your uncle would think, or missions, or whatever. Space out, let your mind wander, get rid of some of your tension-- it'll do you good. And that's an _order_."

"You can't give me an order like that," Neji hissed. "You can't pull rank on my personal li--"

"I can and I will," Shikamaru interrupted again. "If you're constantly stressing out and worrying about everything, being tense and edgy, it could harm your body, and that will impact your performance as a ninja. At the least, it'll fuck up your shoulder muscles in the long run, since I'm thinking that's probably where you carry your strain. You're one of the best chuunin Konoha has, and it would be a shame to lose you. So shut the hell up and go to sleep."

Finishing his spiel, Shikamaru finally let go, tugged one of the sheets back over himself (at least he wore shorts to bed, Neji observed with relief), turned his back to his bedmate, and fell silent.

A few minutes went by, and Shikamaru sighed. "You're thinking too much."

"You're psychic now, are you?" Neji grumbled.

"No, but you haven't moved at all. You can't possibly be comfortable frozen like that."

"Pardon me for being distractedly hungry more than tired."

Sighing again, Shikamaru sat up. Neji opened his eyes to glare at him. "What?"

"Next time, you're sleeping in here so I can make sure you don't wake up at an ungodly hour again in the first place. Give me ten minutes, and I'll go make breakfast. Lunch. Whatever." Getting up, Shikamaru ambled over to the closet, pulled out some pants and a tank top, and dressed.

Neji narrowed his eyes. _Does he have no modesty whatsoever?_ "With a host as aggravating as you, who says I'm sleeping over again?"

"Hmm... I'm thinking the line of _o-miai_s that are inevitably headed your way pretty soon." Glancing back at him, Shikamaru smirked. "I've been having to deal with them, too. Why do you think I moved out? Mom was driving me nuts. But do as you please, Hyuuga_-san_." He exited the room, and a few moments later, there was the sound of running water from the bathroom as he washed his face. Padding to the kitchen, he pulled out a few ingredients, flicked on the stove, and began to cook.

Meanwhile, Neji remained lying in the bed, brow furrowed. He hadn't in the past interacted very much with Shikamaru, but now that he had the opportunity, he kept finding himself surprised by him. Several things went through his mind: Shikamaru's comment on not everything being about getting better, his horrified reaction at the idea of regularly waking up by 8, the pillow fight, smoking, the strange sensation of being pinned down on the bed beneath h--

Whoa. Okay. Bad train of thought, there.

Sitting up quickly as he pushed off the covers, Neji stared down at the bed blankly. _What the hell? Where did that thought come from?_ The jounin was exasperating at the very least, lazy to an extreme, with no ambition and no manners. Pushing the more uncomfortable thought aside, he focused on Shikamaru's worth as a ninja. _Then how the hell did he rank faster than the rest of us?_

He spoke to instructors and other more experienced ninjas in the same flippant matter that he used with anybody of his own age, rather than using polite humility. He had terrible lifestyle habits, but he seemed fit as a fiddle. He could be horrifyingly direct at certain times, while completely ignoring conversation around him at other times.

How did he have so many friends? Aside from his tendency to avoid doing anything more than the bare minimum of work, Neji couldn't remember ever hearing a single complaint about him. Still, he somehow seemed to have found a tactic that worked for him.

And what was with the drawings?! They seemed completely out of place against everything he knew about Shikamaru-- which, admittedly, wasn't much. He wondered if even Ino and Chouji were aware of the fact; it wouldn't have surprised him if they, too, had been left in the dark.

_Like his shadows,_ Neji mused. _He slips by unnoticed. Even when he should stand out, he's so casual about it that it doesn't even occur to anybody to wonder about what a strange person he is._

Hearing sizzling from the kitchen, Neji lifted his gaze to the doorway and what he could see of the kitchen. The smell of french toast began wafting into the room, and Neji's stomach decided that it was time for a very loud reminder of its poor, deprived state.

Getting up, Neji compulsively tidied the bed before heading out. He silently leaned against the entrance to the kitchen, watching Shikamaru cook with a frown.

"You're welcome to fetch yourself a drink or something, you know," Shikamaru suggested without ever turning around. To his credit, he also didn't ask why Neji had lingered in the room for so long. Stirring from his speculative thoughts, Neji moved to do as suggested.

The rest of breakfast went by without incident, and very few words were exchanged between the two young men-- Neji remaining lost in his thoughts and not one for conversation to begin with, and Shikamaru being himself. As Neji was preparing to leave, however, there was a knock on the door.

Shikamaru stared at it for a moment before shaking his head and getting up. "Damn it," he muttered, increasingly tired of people coming to call. He opened the door and stepped automatically to the side to allow Hyuuga Hiashi in. They nodded in acknowledgement to each other.

Hiashi caught his nephew's eyes, and the two stood in silence as Shikamaru closed the door and went to stand out of the way in the kitchen. Hiashi was the first to finally break the increasingly awkward silence.

"Neji."

"Good day, Hiashi-sama."

"Why haven't you come home?"

"I was just about to leave, sir."

"Last night."

"It was late. I didn't want to disturb the household coming in."

"You're a ninja, you're more than capable of silently working your way in."

"It seemed demeaning to have to sneak back into my own home. But as I stated, I was about to depart now."

Hiashi cleared his throat, obviously not buying the excuse. "You'd best hurry, then. Moeko-san will be coming to visit with her husband and their daughter in two hours."

Tensing immediately, Neji fought to keep his expression neutral. "..."

"Neji, you need not act as if you're being sent to your death. How do you expect to find an appropriate lady if you keep refusing to meet with any of them? You're nineteen-- you're not a child anymore, and you must bear your responsibilities to your clan."

_Responsibilities?_ Neji mentally sneered. _Right-- responsibility to fall into an arranged marriage and breed, produce offspring so that they can be branded with this goddamn seal and be forced to pander to Hinata and her children?_

Seeming to guess some of his thoughts, Hiashi shot him a Look, but continued anyway. "I can't say that I approve of every proposal that has come up-- or most of them-- or, really, any of them," he sighed. "But that was my mistake in not beginning the process last year. However, they're a formality that must be observed. You've left many mothers quite angry, Neji, and as a representative of the Hyuuga family, this is unacceptable. I'm not asking you to yield to every_o-miai_ offer that's presented to you, but you've been behaving exceedingly disrespectfully."

When Neji didn't respond, Hiashi stepped closer. He flinched when the older man put his hands on his shoulders, but when no reprimand followed, he looked up in confusion. Hiashi watched him with a concerned look.

"Neji, right now, I'm not saying this as the head of the clan. I'm speaking as your worried uncle. You make no effort to socialize with others--" Pausing for a moment, he glanced at Shikamaru curiously before turning back to his nephew. "-- And yet, you don't yield to arranged meetings, either. It's your decision who and when to marry, but you're well of age, and the elders are becoming irritable with waiting. Hinata is bearing the same responsibilities you are, and it won't be long before Hanabi does as well. As the eldest, more is expected of you. We're not looking at you as a member of the branch house, as you seem to assume, but as a healthy, intelligent young man in my care who seems no closer to settling down."

Trying not to overtly display his wounded pride at being lectured before Shikamaru-- they weren't even really friends, after all-- Neji lowered his head in shame. "My apologies, Hiashi-sama."

Letting go of him, Hiashi crossed his arms. "... How about a compromise?"

Looking up quickly, Neji's brow furrowed. A compromise? "Sir?"

"I will be selective. If I say that you are to meet with somebody, you_are_ to meet with them. There will be no questions, no avoidance, and no arguing. However," Hiashi added, "if I do not approve of a meeting ahead of time, then you will be free to do as you please, and I will make excuses for you. Is that agreeable?"

_He'll cover for me?_ A bit stunned at the thought, Neji nodded mutely. At best, he'd expected a rant on how he was shaming the family or behaving selfishly; at worst, being dragged forcibly back to endure every meeting. But aside from hand-selected individuals, he was being given the choice? Hiashi himself had said just moments before that he hadn't been satisfied with any of the eligible girls brought to him yet-- and the number was high indeed, considering what family wouldn't want to land a member of the Hyuugas? The highly praised, handsome cousin to the heiress, no less-- so it seemed that Hiashi had standards for him as well.

Watching his silent peer, Shikamaru smirked. _It seems that Hiashi threw him for a loop,_ he observed with amusement, taking somewhat of a sadistic delight in Neji's discomfort. _Good. Maybe he'll relax a little. ... Nah, probably not._

Sighing, Hiashi took a step back. "It's agreed, then. However, today's meeting _is_ mandatory-- Moeko-san's father is a valued friend to our clan, and her daughter would be an acceptable asset to the family. You have the next two hours to yourself, but I expect you to be home and ready for a formal meeting before they arrive."

Neji nodded again, belatedly adding a "Yes, sir" after a moment.

Hiashi turned to Shikamaru and bowed slightly; after all, age or no age, the Nara was a jounin, and demanded a level of respect. "My apologies for intruding."

Shikamaru shrugged casually. "It's fine. Clan politics, I know." Hiashi hesitated, and the younger man smiled. "And yes, I spoke to 'him'. Don't worry, the ball's started to roll."

Returning the smile with a politely distant one, Hiashi bowed again before heading for the door; this time, Shikamaru returned the bow. Neji's musings on the young man came creeping back to him as he wondered again how on earth Shikamaru managed to succeed so well, and so effortlessly.

Once Hiashi had gone, Shikamaru glanced at Neji and raised an eyebrow. Neji glared at him. "Don't you _dare_ laugh."

Smirking again, Shikamaru raised his hands in a peacekeeping gesture. "Hey, wasn't planning to. I told you, I've been dealing with the same 'arranged marriages' bullshit that you have. Not nearly at your level, I'm guessing, but... well, you've never met my mother."

"From how you make her out to be, I wouldn't want to," Neji grimaced. "But you should be more deferential to her."

At that, Shikamaru did laugh. "Are you kidding? If I were 'deferential' to her, she'd think I'd lost my mind. Dad's already completely whipped. But anyway, you should get going."

"I know."

"It was nice of him to compromise."

"I... am in agreement."

Shikamaru snorted. "Is it so hard to just say 'yeah'? Quit with all that formal speech fluff, Hyuuga."

Neji scowled a bit as he headed for the door. "I'll speak however I damn well please."

To his surprise, Shikamaru grinned as he followed to lock up after him. "Ah, that's _much_ better. Assuming you survive this meeting, I'll see you around. Next time you feel like fleeing."

"Don't count on it," Neji retorted as he opened the door. He paused in the doorway, then glanced back. "... But thank you. Aside from a few moments when I wanted to cut off your chakra points, it was an unexpectedly--" _Surprising._ "-- pleasant visit." he nodded in farewell, and Shikamaru waved back.

Watching the chuunin walk down the hall, Shikamaru leaned in the doorway and crossed his arms. "... Hm. Well, that was strange." He yawned. _But damn, Tsunade'll be expecting a mission report today,_ he sighed. _There goes my two days of sleep._ Shaking his head, he re-entered his apartment, shut the door, and returned to his quiet life.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 05  
**A/N:**  
To recap on a mistake in the last fic, penname has so kindly alerted me to the fact that by Shippuden, Neji is a jounin and Shikamaru is still chuunin. All I can say is... "Oops?" I've never seen a second of Shippuden, so... XD If I make any more mistakes, please let me know! I may or may not revise the chapter, depending on how important it is, but I'd like to know the real facts. For the sake of this story, though, I'm keeping things as is.  
The longest chapter so far-- I didn't actually intend for it to end up quite this lengthy, but it amuses me. It may be a while before the sixth chapter, though, because this week is kind of bad for work, school, and going to the hospital for a blood test.  
Enjoy! And as always, please review and tell me what you like/what you hate!

**REVIEWS:**  
_BrevityofWit:_ Umm... already replied to your comment, so. XD Thanks for reading!  
_anabel sinclair:_ Thank you! Here's your "more"!  
_yaoi ad-ikt:_ This soon enough for you? I know, not a super common pairing, but I adore them nonetheless. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Two weeks went by, with two torturous _o-miai_s Neji was forced to attend. Granted, only one was formal enough to involve meeting the girl; the other had been an unofficial tea with the mother of an eighteen year old. Both were distant relatives, and Neji felt sure that this was the reason he'd been made to go.

Still, Hiashi proved true to his word. He'd alert Neij ahead of time if an unsatisfactory would-be fiancée was on her way, and the young man made a point to spend more and more time in the training grounds away from home. One evening, however, Neji fled the Hyuuga mansion just to find himself caught in a light sprinkle that he knew would inevitably end up as an end-of-summer downpour. Cursing his luck, he ran off.

Perhaps he could visit Lee, his friend and long-time comrade-- but no, he didn't feel up to hearing a soliloquy on the cleansing spirit of the rain to rejuvenate the essence of the springtime of youth.

Or something. Who knew what he'd come up with?

Tenten, mayb-- ah. Ugh. No. It was best to not even venture near that terrain. Damn nuisance of a woman. He could almost see why Shikamaru showed such disdain for them.

No way in hell was he going to turn to Naruto for anything, and Sakura and Ino were just as bad. He wasn't very well-acquainted with Chouji, and Kiba and Shino were out of the question. That left...

Neji stared at the apartment door in front of him, wondering when he'd even gotten there. His hand was raised, poised to knock, but he hesitated-- and this hesitation unnerved him all the more. Overall, his last visit had gone unexpectedly well. _It's not as if I'm expecting a fight or anything-- why am I so reluctant?_ Still, not knowing where else to go, he gave up and knocked. And knocked again.

Nothing.

"Dammit," he muttered. Of all the times for the lazy Nara to be out of the house! He wasn't on a mission, Neji knew, as he had been at the Hokage's tower just that morning. Grocery shopping, maybe? Whatever; it didn't matter where Shikamaru was if it wasn't 'at home.' Sighing, he turned away and headed down the hall, wondering if avoiding the meeting was worth sitting outdoors in the rain.

Just as he reached out for the door at the end of the hall, however, it swung open on its own. Neji just barely managed to jump back in time to avoid getting hit by it, landing softly and scowling at whatever moron had been so rude to--

Oh. So that's where he'd been.

Shikamaru gave him a strange look as he pulled off the formal _haori_ he'd worn over his head to keep out of the rain. "Yes? Do you have something to say, or are you just going to stare at me?"

The scowl returned as Neji crossed his arms. "You're going to ruin the fabric. That kind of silk isn't very appropriate for the weather."

"Yeah, well-- at least if it's ruined, mom can't make me wear it anymore. It's such a pain in the ass," Shikamaru grumbled as he tugged at his collar and headed for his apartment. When he didn't hear footsteps behind him, he paused and glanced back at Neji. "Coming?"

"..." Silently, Neji trailed after.

Shikamaru barely managed to keep the smirk off his face as he unlocked the door and went inside. _Thought so,_ he mentally congratulated himself. _So predictable._

Closing and locking the door behind Neji, he headed for his room. Looking around, Neji noticed that both the bathroom and bedroom doors had been left wide open while Shikamaru was out. _Guess it wasn't just me, after all._ Looking away, his eyes fell on the artbook, and he found himself gravitating toward it curiously. Perching on one arm of the couch, he reached out for the artbook, picked it up, and pulled it onto his lap. He skimmed through most of the pictures, lingering on a few choice sketches; however, he was disappointed to find nothing new.

Disappointed? No, that couldn't be right-- he didn't care about something so trivial. It was just curiosity, unsatisfied curiosity.

"I heard you actually went to an _o-miai_ the other day," Shikamaru spoke up as he reentered the room, startling Neji into almost dropping the sketchpad. Raising an eyebrow as he tossed Neji a towel to dry off his hair, the jounin let out a low, quiet whistle around the cigarette in his mouth, heading to the kitchen to get a cool drink. "Down, boy, no need to be so jumpy."

Frowning at Shikamaru speaking to him as if he were Akamaru, Neji put the book back onto the table before running the towel over his hair and shoulders. "I'm not jumpy, I just didn't expect you to speak so suddenly."

Smirking, Shikamaru came ambling over to lean against the back of the couch, hovering over his guest's shoulder. "Mmhmm," he murmured dismissively, handing him a glass of water. "You like drawings or something? You spent around an hour looking at that thing last time, too."

"Not particularly. I have no opinion on art," Neji corrected mildly, nodding in thanks for the drink. "It's much more one of Hinata's interests."

"Hmm..."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Blinking slowly, Shikamaru tilted his head and gave him an amused look. "What what?"

Neji resisted the urge to growl. Really, the man knew just the right buttons to press... How infuriating. "What were you thinking?"

"Thoughts," Shikamaru answered with a careless shrug, much to Neji's chagrin. Straightening, he walked around the couch to take a seat, pulled out an ashtray from a drawer beneath the coffee table and set that down. He tapped the smoldering end against the edge, taking a drink of water before leaning back contentedly, looking perfectly at ease.

Eyeing the cigarette, Neji's brow furrowed. "... Why do you smoke? You didn't used to, did you?"

Opening his eyes halfway, Shikamaru's expression was unusually serious rather than bored or smug. "No. I didn't." Leaving it at that, he put the white cylinder to his lips again.

Waiting for further explanation, Neji frowned when he realized that one wasn't forthcoming. _He's being incredibly aggravating right now._ "It's not healthy for a ninja to have an addiction like that," he commented, tone just barely this side of patronizing. Shikamaru seemed unaffected by it, however, as he just shrugged again.

After a moment of silence, Shikamaru spoke-- quiet, thoughtful. "Asuma-sensei smoked."

Tensing, Neji remained quiet. He knew about Asuma-sensei, of course-- that he'd been the mentor for Shikamaru, Chouji and Ino, and had been killed by the psychopathic then-Akatsuki member Hidan. Hidan was ultimately blown to pieces by the Nara himself, although Neji didn't know the details. Whether or not Hidan still breathed, he was as good as dead.

Never having had that kind of close relationship with a mentor figure, Neji couldn't entirely understand, or at all relate. However, he knew the man had been important to him, and he supposed that was all that really mattered.

They shared a few minutes of quiet contemplation, Neji sipping at his water from time to time and Shikamaru relaxing. Despite that the silence should have, by all rights, been awkward as hell, neither felt bothered in the least by it. That being said, the knock at the door made both of them flinch as the harsh sound cut through their thoughts.

Shikamaru frowned at the door, muttering as he got up and headed over. "God_damn_ it, it better not be Hinata, or Naruto, or Hiashi, or..."

Or his neighbours?

Two adolescent girls stood with hopeful smiles, both seeming to be about fifteen years old. Shikamaru recognized the one with the curly blonde locks who lived with her parents and little sister in the apartment to the east of his; the redhead, however, was a stranger. "Yes?"

"Hi, Nara-san! Sorry to bug you-- troublesome, I know, I know-- but we were just wondering if Momoko-chan and I could borrow half a cup of sugar," Satou asked in a wheedling voice.

"We're making smoothies," Momoko explained unnecessarily as Satou glanced past Shikamaru, forever curious what the man's place must look like.

Her eyes widened when she saw Neji, who had partially turned on the arm of the couch to eye the door. It took her all of two seconds to wonder what somebody so handsome and well-bred was doing at her quiet, lazy neighbour's home, incorrectly assess the situation, and go red from embarrassment. Delighted excitement, but embarrassment nonetheless. "Oh, my god-- I'm sorry! Were we interrupting something? Is he your boyfriend? He's so _pretty_!"

Shikamaru stared as Neji froze, blinking at her. It wasn't every day that somebody could throw the proud ninja off his guard... although admittedly, Shikamaru seemed to have no problem doing so. _Did she really just ask that?_

Glowering, the jounin held out a hand for the measuring cup. "Don't go jumping to conclusions like that, Satou. He's just a friend."_Well, sort of._

"Really? What a shame! I think you'd look so _cute_ together!" Momoko squealed, having seen Neji a moment after her companion.

"Why is he all wet?" Satou asked curiously. "I mean, summer or not, it's air-conditioned in here... wouldn't he be cold? You gonna warm him up, Na--"

"Do you want the sugar or not?" Shikamaru asked in a flat, annoyed tone.

Both of the girls giggled as Satou handed him a measuring cup. He pointedly closed the door before walking over to the kitchen as he complained to himself under his breath. Collecting the requested amount of sugar, he went back, opened the door, and held it out to them. "There. Now go away."

Satou received the sugar with a thank-you, but her eyes were glittering mischievously. "You seem impatient to get rid of us. So you can have some alone time with loverboy there?" Satou couldn't help teasing as she grabbed Momoko's arm and pulled her back before Shikamaru could attack them-- not that he would have. Too much effort.

He gave them a strange look instead. "What the hell are you talking about? Do you not understand the word 'friend'?"

Momoko rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Two cute, healthy young guys sitting around in an apartment, doing who-knows-what?"

"Should I assume inappropriate things are going on between _you_ two, then?" Shikamaru retorted drily.

Momoko blushed as Satou's eyes widened. "Of course not!"

"Then don't assume things about other people." Rolling his eyes as they began to protest, the ninja shut the door and returned to the couch. "Teenaged girls: nature's greatest mistake," he sighed.

"Are your neighbours always so nosy?" Neji snorted.

"Yes. You should have seen Satou's reaction the other day when Sakura came by to drop something off." Shikamaru grimaced. "And that crazy bitch definitely didn't help. She seemed to think it was cute to egg the brat on." He glanced at Neji. "But they're right-- you're probably cold, aren't you? Need to borrow some clothes?"

Neji frowned. "I doubt yours would fit me."

"They might be a little loose, but shouldn't be too bad. Come on." Leading Neji to his room and dropping the towel in a hamper, Shikamaru went to the closet and pulled out a plain, white t-shirt and tossed it to Neji. Thinking for a moment, he dug around in the back of his closet, looking for a box he'd meant to go through and throw the unsalvagably small clothes away. Finding it and opening it up, he withdrew a pair of black capris that had become too snug for him after his unexpected growth spurt in the last year and handed those to Neji as well.

Although he was uncomfortable with borrowing somebody else's clothes, Neji's own really were starting to give him chills in the cool apartment. With a nod of thanks, he went to the bathroom and changed, hanging his to dry along the curtain rod of the bath before exiting.

He found his host sitting on the couch again, cigarette sitting dead in the ashtray as he read a book. "... Does she come by a lot? The kid, I mean," Neji asked.

Shikamaru nodded. "She does a lot of weird cooking projects, so she's always coming over to borrow ingredients for them."

"Like..." Neji paused for a second, recalling her words. "'Smoothies'? What are those?"

Looking up from the book to stare at him, Shikamaru wondered for a second if he was joking. When Neji scowled in embarrassment, obviously guessing Shikamaru's thoughts, the younger man shook his head. "Serious? Wow. Well, you didn't grow up with bossy women around, so I guess that makes sense. Still, I'd have thought that Tenten and Lee, by now... do you ever just hang out with them?" Neji shook his head, and he sighed, heading for the kitchen again. "Come here."

Narrowing his eyes, Neji remained where he was. "Why?"

Glancing back at him, Shikamaru arched an eyebrow. "Are you suspicious of everything anyone says or does?" Neji didn't respond, but he dismissed the topic anyway. "Just come here, idiot."

Bristling, Neji stood. "I'm not an idiot," he snapped as he wandered over.

Shikamaru smirked as he opened the refrigerator, pulling out some milk, vanilla yogurt, and a ripe peach. "You obeyed, didn't you?" Neji immediately stopped walking, and Shikamaru sighed again. "It was just a joke, okay? Don't take everything so seriously."

"Anybody would take an insult like that seriously," Neji argued.

"No," Shikamaru countered calmly as he opened a cupboard and took out sugar and a blender, "they wouldn't. It's all about context. Sakura and Ino insult each other all the time, but they're still best friends."

Neji ignored the point in favour of staring blankly at the ingredients. "What are you doing?"

Shikamaru tossed him the peach. "Knife's in that drawer to your right, next to the stove. Peel the skin off that. We're going to make smoothies."

"... Is this another joke of yours?"

"Nope." Looking amused at the man's disbelief, Shikamaru got out a tray of ice cubes. "Haven't spent much time in the kitchen, have you?"

"I never had a reason to," Neji defended indignantly as he went to get the knife. Setting the tray down on the counter, Shikamaru turned and eyed him for a moment. Feeling the eyes on him, Neji glanced over with an unsettled look. "What?"

When Shikamaru moved closer and put his hands on the counter on either side of Neji and leaned in, the unsettled feeling immediately spiraled as the man tensed. Shikamaru watched him seriously, invading the hell out of his personal space bubble but standing still until Neji's immediate fight-or-flight instinct calmed down a bit. "Neji, I want you to do something for me. While you're here, try not to get so pissed off at everything I say or do. I'm not at any point planning to hurt you, and I'm not actually trying to offend you. It's just teasing, okay? Relax."

"I'd relax more if you'd back _off_ a few inches," Neji fumed, a dangerous, warning look in his milky white eyes.

Shikamaru seemed infuriatingly entertained by Neji's discomfort, but after a few drawn-out, torturous moments, he did as told. "A word of advice: the more you get riled up, the more I'm going to tease you. Just don't let it get to you."

"We're not all too lazy to _care_, unlike you," Neji retorted.

With another smirk, Shikamaru leaned in again spitefully, just a bit-- just enough to annoy the other man. "Oh, I'm lazy all right, but that has nothing to do with it. I don't see a reason to concern myself with what other people think. I know myself better than anybody else does, and I'd imagine you do, too. Everyone in Konoha knows you're brilliant, Hyuuga, so you can't possibly believe that somebody calling you an idiot would mean it the way you assume. The result is that you can deduce it was just a joke."

"Somebody being the brunt of the joke generally wouldn't find it very funny, would they?"

"Sometimes they do, but being the target happens to everyone. It's part of life, so you just have to learn to deal with it. The more of a reaction you give, the more it's going to happen. Look at Naruto-- he acts spastic and defensive, and he gets mocked for it constantly. He just generally lets it bounce off of him because it _doesn't matter_. He's casual and comfortable with himself, and doesn't hold anger over people's heads, so even though he's a hyperactive idiot, everyone likes him. Even you have respect for him, right?"

Neji remained silent.

Sighing, Shikamaru dropped his head. "Just... let things go, okay? Take it easy." Standing upright again, he shot Neji one last, indecipherable look before turning back to drop the ice and yogurt into the blender. "Once you've got the skin off, cut it into slices and drop it in here," he instructed as he sidestepped the other to get some cups out of the cupboard by his head.

Eyeing him warily, Neji furrowed his brow. _What... was that? Aside from irritating, aggravating, frustrating, confusing._

Pulling out two cups and setting them on the counter in front of him, Shikamaru glanced at Neji and raised an eyebrow. "Yes? Need me to show you how to use a knife?"

Neji twitched, but swallowed the irritation that immediately flared up. "No," he replied as he turned away to cut the peach, determined to not let the younger man get the better of him. As he returned to the blender, Shikamaru allowed himself a smug look at the Hyuuga appearing to concede.

After a few more minutes, they were done. Taking their cups, they went back to the couch and sat down. Shikamaru held his smoothie, but rather than taking a drink, he smirked at the other man. "Try it."

Neji eyed the drink warily, but put it to his lips and sampled a tentative sip. He got mostly froth, however, and frowned before taking a larger drink. His eyes went wide as he put a hand to his mouth, staring at it. "It's sweet."

"Bad?"

"No. I... it's good. I've never had anything like it."

"Good." Satisfied, Shikamaru leaned back to enjoy his own drink.

Several moments of thoughtful silence passed before Neji spoke again. "Are there... a lot of drinks like this? Things that are sweet, so easy to make, but commonplace?" _To everyone except me, anyway. I wonder if Hinata and Hanabi have tried smoothies before?_

"Hmm... I don't know what you have or haven't had, so that's hard to gauge. Smoothies are about as basic as you can get, though, since all you have to do is change a few of the ingredients to give it whatever flavour you want," Shikamaru explained. "Foods are usually more complicated, but there's a lot more variety, too-- pastries, crêpes, candied things, chocolate-covered fruits..." Voice trailing off, he laughed at Neji's expression. "You've never had any of those?"

Looking away from him with a faint flush of embarrassment, Neji shook his head. "Hiashi-sama doesn't approve of junk food. I've had fancy dessert crêpes when a guest brought some once, and pastries... we get cakes once in a while." He paused as a thought occurred to him, then shot Shikamaru an odd look. "Wait, do you actually know how to make all of those? _Why_? Isn't that usually more of a woman's thing?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "A lot of bakers and chefs are guys. But I was an only child, so my mom made me help her in the kitchen when I wasn't training with dad. Annoyed the hell outta me then, but turned out to be useful when I moved out. Go figure." He blinked, eyeing Neji curiously. "You don't know how to cook anything at all?"

Neji frowned. "Of course I can. It's basic survival skills to be able to hunt and cook what you kill, or recognize which plants are poisonous and which aren't. I've just never made food that's just... decorative."

"Hardly decorative," Shikamaru drawled."I'm sure a lot of the junk we 'commoners' eat are nothing compared to you nobles."

"You're from a good family, too," Neji pointed out. "You have all that medical background in your ancestry, and an enormous clan property..."

Shikamaru shook his head. "But we're a lot more casual. I still grew up like any of the other average kids. The property is just because of all the deer we have, and not every generation goes into the medical field. Dad knows some of that stuff, but his focus was always being a ninja. I've read the medical books we have lying around, and borrowed some from relatives, but I don't plan to be a doctor anytime soon."

"Why not?" Neji asked. "It seems like that would be ideal for someone as inert as you... staying in town instead of running around, working in a building and only having to travel from room to room..."

Shikamaru didn't respond right away, but when he did, his voice was quiet. "Too risky," he replied. "I don't want to be responsible for all those lives. I don't want to have to own up to somebody dying because I got careless or miscalculated."

The response startled Neji. While it made sense that the indolent man didn't want to have to deal with the patients, the fact that it was because he felt insufficient briefly rattled him. _So he worries, too._ "But... you're a jounin. You lead people on missions all the time. Wouldn't that be _more_ dangerous?" he pointed out cautiously.

"Completely different," came the other's answer. "Ninjas know that they could die in any given mission; doctors aren't supposed to make mistakes. Besides, I don't usually lead very many groups. A lot of my missions are solo jobs."

Neji was surprised again. "What? Really? Why...? You were a chuunin examiner for several years, you've led missions since you were twelve, you taught at the academy by the time you were fifteen..."

A smile quirked at the corner of Shikamaru's mouth-- not a smirk, but an actual smile. "Hmmm... is there a reason you've been keeping track of my life, Hyuuga?" he teased.

Neji shot him a Look. "I was there when you were promoted to chuunin, went on the Sasuke mission with you, and you were the youngest academy instructor in-- I don't know how long. Maybe ever. _Everyone_ knows this." When Shikamaru didn't respond, Neji replayed the words in his head-- and abruptly realized that the young man hadn't actually answered his question, neatly sidestepping it instead. "Why are your missions solo? Aren't jounin usually _supposed_ to be captains...?"

"Mmhmm, but I wasn't appointed to be a captain. I guess I'm technically more of a Tokubetsu Jounin, even though I'm not classified as that. I'm not as well-rounded as jounin usually are."

"Then why were you appointed?" Eyeing the wordless Nara, Neji set his drink down on the table and turned more fully to him. "... Is it confidential?"

"Not... really, no." Shikamaru sighed, muttering something about the other man being a pain in the ass. Neji ignored the comment, waiting. "Do you know how my shadow jutsus works at night?"

Neji blinked. "... Wouldn't they be stronger? Since everything is in shadow?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Nope. Shadows are cast by an object blocking a light source. During the day, that light source is the sun. At night, though, it's not a matter of something blocking that light source so much as the earth being turned away from the sun and facing the rest of space, where no light naturally exists. This makes my shadows almost useless."

Not understanding how this could possibly have gotten Shikamaru the promotion, Neji listened attentively.

"So on a moonless night, or if there's something to completely cancel out all light-- clouds, a dense forest, whatever-- I'm screwed. I can't just use any dark spot there is to extend my shadow-- there has to be some kind of form to it. In pitch darkness, even if that darkness is created by a dense forest blocking the sky, I have to rely completely on taijutsu. But as long as there's a moon, enough stars, a fire or a flashlight or whatever, that creates sufficient light, there are shadows-- a lot of shadows."

"Then..." Neji's eyes widened. "My god. You'd be able to manipulate everything those shadows touch? That can't be right, I'd have heard of that kind of power by now..."

"Nope. Extra shadows only give me more length, not more strength. The further away a shadow is, the less I can control it. Plus, chakra reserves," Shikamaru reminded. "I have a very average amount of chakra, and though it's gotten better over the years, it's nowhere near what others have. So I can hold an enemy to stall for time while others escape, but the more enemies there are, the more it drains my chakra, and the faster the shadows become pretty useless. If I don't have to worry about teammates, though, I can manage how much chakra I'm expending much more easily."

"But would that be enough to make you a jounin? That doesn't make sense-- it doesn't seem like it's enough of a reason," Neji argued. "It still sounds more like a weakness than an advantage."

"You'd be completely right. If they were ordinary missions." Shikamaru smiled wryly. "Tell me, what would be the best kind of job for a ninja who works alone, becomes stronger at night under the right circumstances, and can make fast strategies while considering however many variables might be in the way? Who can get in quickly, get the job done in the quietest way possible, and get out?"

Thinking this over, Neji felt his head begin to ache. The only answer that made sense _didn't_ make sense-- not with the other man's rank. "You're not ANBU," he stated flatly. "You can't be specializing in assassinations. Not even jounin do."

"You're right, I'm not ANBU," Shikamaru agreed. "I don't want to be. Being a jounin just allows me more freedom and access than remaining a chuunin would have. Besides, I'm not that strong of a ninja overall-- my intelligence is my strongest point." He sighed. "According to Tsunade, I have the fundamental requirements. I'm able to carry out assassinations with or without a team, my family's medical background gives me detailed knowledge of the human body, and my jutsus are silent and discrete, so I should be well-suited to the task. But I don't have a lot of chakra, I'm not particularly fast, I don't have enough experience. I don't want that mask or its responsibilities, and I don't want to slow down my teammates."

He stopped and took a deep breath, looking drained. "Besides... some of the things I've seen are already bad enough. If I had to be ANBU, doing only this kind of stuff all the time, I'm not sure how long I could handle it." Putting down his drink, he opened the drawer of the coffee table, pulled out a cigarette and lighter, and lit the end. A gradual calm visibly settled over him as he inhaled, then let out a slow, smoky breath. "Satisfied?"

"... Yes." _'I'm sorry'_ didn't seem appropriate, so instead, Neji added a soft, "thank you." Shikamaru nodded in acknowledgment, bored look returning to his face and clearly tired of talking.

They drank their smoothies in silence for a bit, Neji thinking and Shikamaru carefully not. Once Shikamaru put out his cigarette, he fetched a pencil from the drawer, picked up the artbook, opened it up to the latest blank page, and began to sketch. Neji glanced at it, but not wanting to disturb him, he looked away. Getting up after a while, he pulled one of Shikamaru's books from the bookshelves, returned to the couch, sat down, and began to read.

A peaceful hour drifted by before Shikamaru put the sketchpad away. Neji looked at him curiously, wondering if it was all right to look, but this time, Shikamaru smirked and shook his head. "Later," he promised, "when I'm done." He got up to take their empty cups to the sink, washing them quickly so that he wouldn't end up with a bothersome pile of dishes to do later.

Returning, he stood behind the couch with his arms crossed on the back, leaning over. Neji looked up at him, almost instinctively frowning, but managing to smooth out his expression before the suspicion could quite reach his eyes. Guessing what was going on, Shikamaru chuckled. "Bored?"

"Not really. Why?"

"You've been on that page for the last few minutes, so I figured your mind wasn't really on the book." Shikamaru tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, a challenging grin at his lips. "How about a game?"

This time, Neji couldn't keep his eyes from narrowing, as he'd gotten quite tired of Shikamaru's idea of fun. "... What kind of game?"

Laughing at the young man's wariness, Shikamaru shook his head as he stood. "_Shougi_. Or _Go_. I have both, it doesn't matter." Neji relaxed, and he snorted. "What did you _think_ I was going to say?"

"With you, I never know," Neji snarked.

Shikamaru conceded the point to him and went to go fetch the supplies. Bringing them out to the middle of the room, several feet in front and to the left of the couch, he and Neji sat down on opposite sides and laid out the pieces. For the rest of the evening, they played.

They only got through two games around dinner, both of which Shikamaru won-- but just barely. Perhaps it was just his paranoia, but Neji couldn't but wonder if Shikamaru had _let_ him get so close. After all, even if he himself was also considered a genius-- a prodigy, anyway-- he wasn't a born tactician the way the other was. Still, rather than try to argue whether or not the games had been fair, he let it slide. He'd hassled the other man enough for the day as it was, and it had gotten late. He was tired.

A brief argument broke out when they were getting ready for bed, as Neji insisted on sleeping in the living room once more and Shikamaru refused to hear any of it. "You're going to end up getting up at a ridiculous hour again and getting pissed off that I'm comfortably unconscious while you're sleep-deprived and grouchy," Shikamaru drawled, adding that it wasn't as if they'd be crammed together; the full-sized bed was easily big enough to fit two, even three if small, people comfortably. Eventually, too exhausted to argue-- and he _had_ lost their games, after all-- Neij gave up and followed Shikamaru into the room. The host took the spot by the wall, beneath the window, while the guest was permitted the outer edge so that he could flee if he felt too awkward.

There was some shifting around as they got comfortable, lying facing in opposite directions. Although Neji didn't want to admit it, the bed_was_ extremely comfortable, even more so than his own. _Then again, he spends so much time here, I shouldn't be surprised,_ he thought mockingly. With a final yawn, he closed his eyes.

Within a few breaths, both young men were fast asleep.

* * *

**A/N:**  
Satou "sugar"  
Momo "peach"  
Neither 'milk' nor 'yogurt' made for remotely decent-sounding names, so there you go. XD My cheesy bit of foreshadowing.  
I've seen endless discussion go back and forth on whether or not Shikamaru is stronger or weaker at night, so I gave up trying to find the 'truth'-- if Kishimoto's even given one yet. As such, that part of the fic is complete bull. XD Sumimasen, moshiwake gozaimasen. :bows:


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 06  
**A/N:**  
This chapter's dedicated to BrevityOfWit because she asked about it. :D  
So, I'll be shooting for updating a chapter a week. I know I wrote the first five chapters in one week, but that's not something my schedule typically allows for. XD And man, did it lead to a lot of nights with not enough sleep! But hey, I needed my ShikaNeji fix _some_how. :3 So I wrote _Kitchen_ instead. :3 (By the way, thank you to everybody who read/commented on that! You make me a happy-- surprised, but happy-- fic author. )

**REVIEWS:**  
_Priestess Catatonia:_ Thank you!  
_Luffly Emi:_ Sugar and Peach are amazing? XD Thank youuu. Umm... reviews... I'm sure part of it is about the pairing. XD Part of it is just that I'm not exactly a prolific author. And part of it is that the story just wouldn't appeal to many. XD Thank you for liking it, though!  
_anabel sinclair:_ XD I do get the picture, and I shall keep chugging along. I like to think of the Naras as being quite dangerous because there are SO many cool things one could do with shadows. We'll see what Kishimoto-sensei has to say about it, though. Thanks for reviewing, as always!  
_rowanashke:_ That's okay. XD Much as I love reviews (who doesn't?), people also forget or get distracted or have... what's it called... lives? Yeah. Lives. God knows I've been guilty of missing reviewing a chapter here and there. And of course, thank you for reading!  
_BrevityofWit:_ "Whatever it is" is right. XD Aaaand now, to quell your curiosity! Thanks for reading/reviewing!  
_Wing It:_ :D It pleases me greatly that you enjoyed Satou and Momoko. I worried that they seemed superfluous. And I'm always happy to provide giggles and fangirly-highs! Much, MUCH love back!  
_yaoi ad-ikt:_ This was driving me CRAZY. I kept thinking, "What does ad-ikt mean?!" and then I saw it without the hyphen and finally went, "Ohhhh! Addict!" Ahahaha. Anyway. :3 I'm amazed at how fast I wrote it, too. XD But I'll be slowing down now, as final exams are coming up. TT; I'm honoured that I popped your ShikaNeji cherry. :D  
_essenceofthedark:_ I'll be honoured if it does. Thanks muchly for reading! mwah

* * *

"_KANPAI!_"

Neji winced as glasses clinked against glasses. He could just imagine the mess that would be made if any of those glasses were to break, and took a moment to be thankful that the celebration wasn't taking place at the Hyuuga mansion.

He and his friends and peers-- Rock Lee, Tenten, Hinata, Naruto, Sakura, Ino, Kiba, Shino, Chouji, and of course, Shikamaru-- were gathered in a cabin somewhere deep in the Nara forests. Abundant quantities of_sake_-- and some juice for Lee-- had been poured, and snacks were available on various platters scattered around. As the cabin generally served only as a resting place for clan members trekking through, there was no real furniture: they'd brought some blankets and cushions, but were otherwise sitting solely on the cold, wooden floor.

It had taken some persuading of Yoshino to allow them to use the cabin, but Shikaku had eventually overridden her protests and given his son the go-ahead, even going so far as to provide the drinks. It was thanks to him that they were now bunched together to celebrate Neji's promotion to jounin status.

The news had only arrived a few days before, when Tsunade had summoned Neji to her office.

_"Thank you for coming," Tsunade greeted._

_"Is there a problem?" Neji asked with a slight frown._

_"Oh, no, not at all," Tsunade assured in a dismissive tone as she held out an envelope. "This is for you. Go ahead, read it here-- I'll need it back in a second."_

_Confused as to why he'd be given something only to have it be returned within moments, Neji accepted the envelope and opened it up. He slid out the letter inside and unfolded it, reading quickly over the contents._

_And then reading again._

_And again._

_"Well?" Tsunade asked, leaning back in her chair and tapping her fingers impatiently against the desk. "I'd imagine you'll accept?"_

_"I-- of course," Neji confirmed with a nod, finally tearing his eyes away from the letter to stare at the godaime in confusion. "But I don't understand... why now?"_

_Tsunade's fingers stilled. "Do you really not get it?" Neji tensed, a bitter taste in his mouth at the condescending words, but he held his tongue. Rather than scold him or take the appointment away, Tsunade eyed him in silence for a moment, then laughed. "I guess not. Okay._

_"We've all been fully aware that you've been working hard and giving it your all to become a jounin in the last couple of years. You've taken difficult missions, accepted one job after another, stayed late at the training grounds and arrived early to train... in short, you've been working your ass off. Don't think that we didn't appreciate it, but being a jounin doesn't mean you have to be a workaholic._

_"I'm not sure what's been going on in your life, but these last two months, you've become much more... well, relaxed."_

_Neji stared at her, not understanding what this would have to do with his promotion. She sighed, then continued._

_"To be a jounin means to be a leader. To be a leader means to be in charge of the organization and welfare of a group of subordinates. A leader who is going to storm headfirst into battle and push everybody to complete a mission no matter what will only slip up sooner or later, and somebody will get hurt. Most likely sooner rather than later. In addition, while it's important to be firm with your team, working them to death isn't very conducive toward building group strength or raising morale._

_"Finally, a jounin is a model for others. If other ninjas see a jounin who pushes him or herself too hard, constantly to the point of exhaustion, overstressed and unsympathetic and unyielding, then either that's what they'll strive to be, or they'll lose the motivation to become a jounin themselves. Do you think that would make for a very good team of ninjas?"_

_Neji swallowed._

_"Well? This isn't a rhetorical question, Hyuuga," Tsunade drawled._

_Neji quickly shook his head. "No."_

_"There you have it," Tsunade finished. "You've mellowed out a little, don't put in ridiculous hours into training, and have been helping others train themselves more. Without so much strain in your body from running yourself ragged, your moves are smoother as well. You're not as standoffish as you used to be, and you have more patience than before, when the slightest mistake would have make you frustrated and upset. Rumour has it that you even __smile__ from time to time. You've become a shining example of a strong, self-assured, mature ninja, and that's what we want to see in a jounin."_

_"... I understand," Neji replied after taking a moment to realize that the woman before him wanted some sort of verbal response._

_"Good." Tsunade smiled, then picked up a pen and held it out. "Then if you'll accept the position, please sign along the line at the bottom. I'll notarize it, and it will be done. Congratulations."_

Neji took a sip of his sake, remaining quiet as the others chattered around him. Tenten attempted several times to hold his attention long enough for a proper conversation, but he kept distractedly zoning out and having to apologize when she'd snap him back to reality. She eventually gave up and scooted away to the opposite corner of the cabin to engage Hinata in conversation instead. (Much to her frustration, Hinata, too, proved to be a poor conversation partner, as she'd blush, duck her head, and take a mental vacation from reality anytime Naruto would so much as look at her. Which he seemed to be doing quite a bit.)

Neji was happy, of course, even if it didn't necessarily show. He'd finally gotten the promotion he'd longed for, and then his friends had gone and thrown him a surprise party in congratulation. Ino decorated the cabin with flowers and an _Omedetou, Neji-kun!_ banner, Sakura made some sweets, Chouji provided chips, Hinata ordered mini-sandwiches, Tenten brought vegetable sticks, and Kiba, Shino (who had been dragged by Hinata and Kiba, not really knowing Neji himself), Lee and Naruto had pitched in the money for the drinks.

And then Shikamaru.

Of course, the Nara stubbornly claimed that he'd done nothing. "You really think I'd want the hassle of organizing a social event? Come on-- all I did was mention the word 'party' around Ino, and she took off with the idea. Blame her," he'd insisted. Neji knew better, but didn't press him on the matter. The promotion was thanks to him, really.

For the last two months, he'd found himself going over to Shikamaru's more and more often: once a week at first, then twice, then staying for a weekend, then spending a night at home just to come right back. He practically lived there, or at least it certainly felt like it, and Shikamaru made sure that he got enough rest.

Neji smiled fleetingly at the memories, the expression change so subtle that nobody caught it.

_The morning after Satou, Momoko and the smoothies, Neji woke up at 6:30, as usual. To his surprise, he'd slept incredibly soundly, and for the first time ever, found himself somewhat reluctant to get out of bed. Still, the day called._

_As soon as he sat up, however, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm and yanked him back down. "What the--?!"_

_"Go back t' sleep," Shikamaru mumbled, pulling his arm back beneath the cozy covers. His eyes were still closed, ponytail a mess against the pillow, bedding bunched up around him, but Neji shifting around on the bed had woken him, just as he'd expected._

_Neji frowned. "Maybe you should get up instead."_

_"Or maybe you should go back to sleep."_

_"I don't think--"_

_"Hyuuga. Shut up and lie the fuck down. Don't make me pin you."_

_Neji's eyes widened. _He wouldn't... would he? _Still, some part of him knew better, and after his confusion the _last_time he'd been bodily held against the mattress, he had no desire to experience it again. Really. The strange warmth had been from anger and embarrassment, of course, and the __nervous__ unnerving flip-flop of his stomach had been due to being at a disadvantage. Naturally. After all, it wasn't as if he'd felt funny_while _he was pinned-- the physiological reaction had come after Shikamaru had already let go._

_But why was he overanalyzing it, anyway?_

_Yawning, Shikamaru wriggled to his back and squinted sleepily at him. "Neji. Hiashi's not around. It's a Saturday. It's _cold._You don't know how to cook anything for breakfast, and I'm not budging until noon. Go back to sleep."_

_"How many hours of sleep do you think you need?" Neji griped, although he did reluctantly crawl back beneath the blankets to stare up at the ceiling. A voice at the back of his mind nagged him, reminding him repeatedly at how awkward the situation was: here he was, in the bed of the jounin, a man he barely knew, wearing his clothes, sleeping beside him. Despite that voice's arguments, however, he found himself strangely... comfortable._

_Shikamaru smiled, closing his eyes again and stretching before adjusting the covers around himself. Neji's eyes instinctively followed the movement of his arms, noting the muscles ripple as he moved around. "It's not really about sleeping. It's just relaxing. Admit it-- it's comfortable, isn't it?"_

_Unwilling to submit so completely, Neji refused to acquiesce. "I'm not going to admit anything."_

_Snorting, Shikamaru blinked his eyes open to eye his companion with faint amusement. "Very mature, Hyuuga."_

_"You're the one who wants to sleep for fourteen hours."_

_"I just said it wasn't about sleeping," Shikamaru sighed. "Look, it's not gonna hurt you to relax for a few more hours."_

_"A few? You want to laze around until _noon_," Neji reminded. "That's five and a half hours from now."_

_"Yeah. Three, five and a half, same difference," Shikamaru smirked._

_Neji turned his head to glare. "Sleep as long as you want. That doesn't mean _I_have to."_

_"But you _should_. Exhaustion and stress are bad for you."_

_"So are cigarettes." The words popped out before Neji could stop to think, and he tensed. Surely the Nara would interpret that as a dismissal of his teacher, an insensitive criticism, a--_

_Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, dark eyes taking in the sense of guilt in the other man's pale ones. After a moment, he looked away and let out a deep, slow breath. "So if I try to cut back on smoking, will you try to rest more? At least while you're here, anyway. I'm not going to be monitoring your place or anything; you can stress out as much as you'd like there."_

_Thrown completely off-guard, Neji propped himself up on his elbows and stared down at Shikamaru. "... Why would you do that? Sacrifice your smoking just so I... relax?"_

_Shikamaru shrugged, an interesting feat considering he was still lying down with a pillow in the way of his shoulders. "Because you're right. It's terrible for me. I've only been smoking for a few years, but I get out of breath more easily, and cough more if I get sick. Then it's such a pain to deal with Sakura ranting at me for not taking care of myself." He grimaced. "Why are we having a conversation at six-thirty in the morning?"_

_"Because I don't feel like sleeping. I'm not tired," Neji retorted._

_Shikamaru easily called his bluff. "Liar," he shot back simply. Letting out an annoyed breath and muttering something about being awake being such a waste of a Saturday, he rolled over, dropped an arm across Neji's torso, and pulled him down._

_Too startled to immediately fight, Neji lifted his head to stare down at the arm. "What are you--"_

_"Shut up and go to sleep," Shikamaru mumbled, face buried against the pillow. Neji glared at him, fully intent on shoving him off, getting out of bed, and storming out of the room to prove that yes, he _could_in fact cook breakfast. (Theoretically.) Still..._

_Something about having a warm arm draped comfortably over him like that felt... strange. Rather than feeling suffocating or cumbersome, as he'd always assumed the position would be, it was strangely familiar and... cozy. He thought that was the word for it, anyway; he couldn't really recall any other 'cozy' moments to compare against. Comforting, maybe. The other man certainly looked comfort_able_, at any rate, almost immediately starting to drop back off into sleep._

_He would push him off in a second. The bed really was nice-- mattress soft but firm, blankets fluffy, and sheets smooth-- what was its thread count?-- and the presence of somebody else sleeping nearby was unexpectedly soothing. He'd just lie there a few more minutes, then he'd get up... really... or maybe he'd just have a short doze... that sounded nice..._

That day, neither had woken up again until 10. They'd compromised: since Neji had slept in for three and a half hours, Shikamaru resigned himself to getting up two hours earlier than planned. They'd had a nice omelette for breakfast-- the first in what would become a series of cooking lessons-- before leaving the apartment, Neji to train and Shikamaru to go find a nice field to lie in.

These days, Neji went home when he was needed-- either for an _o-miai_, or if he were to train with Hinata or Hanabi. Aside from that, he generally spent four or five days at Shikamaru's. Neither of them had ever discussed the arrangement, and at times Neji wondered if he was being burdensome, but Shikamaru never really seemed to care.

That ambivalence was incredibly refreshing to the Hyuuga, who was used to a life of tension and formality and strict rules of behaviour and lifestyle. More than anything else, that was what he seemed to crave as he found himself at the Nara's doorstep time and time again.

And Shikamaru always, _always_ made them sleep in. Any morning that Neji tried to get up, Shikamaru would stir from his sleep long enough to drag him back down and, as he would put it, "talk sense into him." When they'd finally get up, they'd eat, then do whatever was planned for the day-- sometimes go to work, sometimes stay home and relax. Rarely did they go out together, however, as whatever sort of friendship they had seemed best maintained in the privacy of the apartment. After all, heaven forbid that Hyuuga Neji be seen socializing instead of training, and Nara Shikamaru was known to avoid the hassle of going out whenever possible.

Neji had realized over time that for somebody so lazy, Shikamaru read a_lot_. Certainly more than anybody else he ever met. The books on his three bookshelves seemed to completely change nearly on a weekly basis, and it had taken several visits for Neji to realize that Shikamaru had a habit of borrowing and lending out books regularly with friends and neighbours. For instance, Satou-- who wanted to become a medic-- constantly borrowed medical reference books, and in return, she'd lend Shikamaru cookbooks or historical fiction.

When reminded that cooking took more effort than he was usually willing to commit to anything, Shikamaru would point out that if he tended to only eat two meals a day and not bother with snacks in between, it was better to cook properly and have something healthy than resort to trash. Hence, he read cookbooks.

Reading and cooking seemed to be right up there in hobbies with drawing.

Speaking of which...

"You never did show me that one picture," he murmured as Shikamaru sat down beside him, having grown tired of listening to Chouji and Ino bicker.

Glancing at him, the younger of the two jounins gave him one of his genuine smiles, almost as rare as Neji's own _any_ smiles. _What an insignificant thing to remember._ "You're right," he confirmed. "I got stuck on a part, so I tore it up and tossed it out."

Neji almost dropped his plate, staring at his friend. The idea that Shikamaru threw away any of his drawings had never even _occurred_ to him. "What? Why? You couldn't just fix whatever was bothering you?"

"Nope. Didn't like any of it, really, so I started over," Shikamaru assured. Frowning, Neji thought of the white sketchbook and wondered which of the latest sketches it was. Guessing his thoughts, however, Shikamaru shook his head. "It's not in there."

"I've never seen you draw anywhere else," Neji remarked in confusion. Really, with how often he was there, he'd have expected that by now...

"Mmhmm." Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Relax, you'll see it eventually. I'm stuck on another part, but the rest of it seems decent so far."

"The rest of what?" Naruto asked, dropping down between them. Shikamaru gave him a Look, but he ignored it to pat Neji on the back. "Anyway, congrats, Neji! You've been working hard for this, so it's great! I kinda figured you'd get promoted forever ago, but who knows what Tsunade-baba's ever thinking?"

Neji eyed him warily. He still didn't like how much time Naruto and Hinata seemed to be spending together lately, but he knew he should make an effort to be polite. "Thank you, Naruto."

"Yeah, Hinata's way proud of you, too!"

Effort, effort... "Really, now?"

"Yeah, totally! She's who I heard about it from, after all!"

The effort was giving him a headache. Shikamaru obviously trying not to snicker at him didn't help, and he cast the man an annoyed look. "Uh-huh."

"She's really smart, y'know that? I guess it must run in the Hyuuga blood or something!"

Maybe Sakura or Ino carried some aspirin on them somewhere. "I guess."

"And the other night, we were having dinner, and--"

"Naruto," Shikamaru interrupted. "You might want to shut up before Neji hurts you."

Blinking, Naruto peered at Neji. "Huh? Why?"

Neji scowled at him. "Do you really want me to grill you on your intentions with my cousin right here?"

"Intentions?" The blond tilted his head in confusion, then shrugged. "I have nothing to hide. I like hanging out with Hinata. She's _cool_! And it's so cute whenever she blushes, and--" He stopped when he found a Hyuuga glare directed at him. "Um..."

"You just called her 'cute'," Neji spat.

"You don't think so? She's like a shy little kitten or something," Naruto continued on, not entirely oblivious to the older man's annoyance but not understanding it, either. "Even when she drinks milk, she takes these tiny little sips, and it's like a cat lapping at a--"

"Okay, that's enough," Shikamaru cut in with a sigh. "Naruto, go tell all this to Hinata, make her day. Neji's _not_ the one you should be gushing at."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Wh-- what?! I can't, I--"

"Sure you can. You just need to get some more _sake_ in your system," Shikamaru reassured.

"_Nara!_" Neji snapped, not at all pleased with the suggestion.

"Hyuuga," Shikamaru returned, as unconcerned as ever. Naruto opened his mouth to jump back into the conversation, but when Shikamaru shooed him away, he reluctantly gave up and decided to leave Neji alone. He made his way straight over to Hinata, dropping down beside her and smiling when she went red and looked up with a shy smile.

Once he was gone, Shikamaru turned to Neji again and raised an eyebrow. "Temper, temper," he chided mildly, smirking at the annoyed look he received in response.

"Sometimes, I don't know why I stay with you," Neji grumbled under his breath. It was fortunate that nobody was nearby enough to overhear and misinterpret the words-- particularly any of the girls.

Although they didn't go out of their way to keep secret how often Neji would visit, they never advertised it, either. Some of their peers had picked up that they seemed to be spending an inordinate amount of time together-- Chouji and Hinata, for instance, realized very quickly-- but most of the other young adults were too caught up in their own lives to notice. They certainly weren't complaining.

Rather than responding to the comment, Shikamaru poured him another shot of_sake_. "Enough bitching, Neji. It's supposed to be a happy day for you, right? Perk up."

Neji looked around at the group. People were smiling, laughing, drinking and snacking, chatting with friends and catching up. Everybody was relaxed, everybody was comfortable-- everybody was _happy_. There was no reason to get tense or be snappish, no reason to try to maintain his rigid self-control.

Two or three months ago, it wouldn't even have been up for debate. He'd have told Shikamaru to go to hell, kept his stoic visage, and remained stiff and tense until everybody was gone. But even he could admit that he wasn't quite the same person he was two months ago, and perhaps it was for the best. Tsunade, at least, certainly seemed to think so.

Tipping his head back, he downed the shot.

* * *

It was 1 PM the next day by the time everybody had woken up, gotten over their hangovers, cleaned up, nibbled on remaining snacks, and left. Shikamaru and Neji dropped by the house long enough to thank Shikaku-- Yoshino was out at the market-- before making their way back to Shikamaru's apartment. They chatted idly along the way from time to time, but for the most part, they walked in companionable silence.

When they arrived at the apartment door, Neji stood to the side to allow Shikamaru to admit them in. However, instead of unlocking the door as usual, Shikamaru fished around in his pocket, withdrew the key, then casually held it out to Neji.

Neji stared at it blankly as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "... What?"

"Take it," Shikamaru sighed.

"Why?" Neji asked, brow furrowed in confusion as he held out a hand.

Shikamaru dropped the key onto his palm, then took a step back and motioned for Neji to go ahead. Giving him a strange look, Neji did as directed. He unlocked the door, pushing it in and warily stepping inside. Nothing seemed unusual, so once he'd shut the door after the apartment's tenant, he shook his head as he handed back the key. "What was the point of that?"

"Just wanted to make sure it worked," Shikamaru replied nonchalantly as he kicked off his shoes and walked toward the bedroom to hang up his coat, brushing past Neji without taking back the key.

Neji stared after him as he disappeared into the room, then looked down at the key. Stepping out of his own shoes to not track dirt into the apartment, he followed after the other man. "Shikamaru, why...?"

Pulling a pack of cigarettes from the nightstand on his way out and lighting it-- the first one that day, as true to his word, he'd been cutting back-- Shikamaru glanced neutrally at the older man. "You're tired of being locked out when I'm not around, right?"

_But you didn't have to..._ Unsure of what to say, and completely thrown off-guard by the personal gesture, Neji eyed the key again before slowly, cautiously, nodding once.

"Well, then, there you go," Shikamaru shrugged as he sidestepped him to get out the door. "Sandwiches okay for lunch, or you want something bigger?"

"Sandwiches are fine." Shaking his head to pull himself from his reverie, Neji trailed after him.

* * *

Twenty-five minutes later, they were seated at the _shougi_ table now always kept set up in the main room. Their partially eaten sandwiches sat on plates beside them, mostly forgotten as their attentions stayed focused on the game.

Neither of them heard the knock at first, but a second knock cut sharply through the trance-like atmosphere just as Neji set down a piece. Almost without thinking, Shikamaru immediately blocked it and captured another before getting up to answer the door, leaving Neji to stare at the board and wondering how the hell he hadn't seen that move coming.

Shikamaru had hardly started to open the door before swung in sharply and Yoshino entered with a potted plant in her arm. "I can't believe you didn't even wait for me to come home first, just leaving like that while I was out!" she scolded, setting the plant on the counter to shrug off her coat and shove it at her son to hang.

The black-haired young man stared at her. "... What are you doing here, and why did you bring that with you?"

Yoshino shot him an impatient look before picking up the blue spider mum again and carrying it into the main room. "What sort of greeting is that to your mother? Hello, Neji, dear, and congratulations on your promotion. I was hoping you and a few of your friends were planning to stay over until dinner-- I was all set to make a cake for you, but to come home and find that the lazy brat had whisked you off--! And that my worthless husband had let him." She sighed as she set the plant in the corner of the room, fussing with its leaves a bit and dusting some imaginary dust from the slim petals. "Anyway, there was a woman selling some of these at the market, and I thought it would be _just_ the thing to add some colour to this drab apartment. Especially after you shoved that poor fern out onto the balcony, honey-- it's going to freeze to death in the winter, and I don't trust that you'll remember to bring it in-- do you even water the thing?"

Neji stared with a slightly open mouth as she slid open the balcony door and stepped outside to inspect the fern. The woman was quite nice to him-- he was convinced it was because he was a Hyuuga, although Shikamaru had tried to tell him that it was his proper manners-- but he never had quite become comfortable with her. Two months was not nearly enough time to get used to Nara Yoshino.

Shikamaru quietly closed the front door, walking back into the room and lounging against a wall. He exchanged wry smiles with Neji before looking up as the woman came back in. "It needs water?" he asked drily, just to annoy her.

Yoshino's eyes flashed at him and she put her hands on her hips. "Shikamaru! Honestly, haven't you learned a _thing_ from me all these years?"

"Mom, I don't need a plant. It's a hassle to care for."

"You water it once a week! Is that so difficult?"

"And change the pot as it grows, makes sure it gets the right amount of sun and warmth, don't over-water it or under-water it, prune it, get the right fertilizer...?" Shikamaru listed, rolling his eyes. "Besides, why a _mum_?"

"Well, why not?" Yoshino huffed, crossing her arms challengingly.

"It's a symbol of _death_."

Yoshino dismissed the thought with a sniff. "Why on earth do you know something like that anyway?"

"Ino."

"Oh, the Yamanakas, that's right. It's _such_ a pity you two don't have any interest in each other, though-- your fathers are _such_ good friends, it would have been a _lovely_ match." Yoshino complained. "In any case, it's a beautiful flower, so cast all superstition aside and just enjoy it. And if I come back here in a week to find it dead, you'll certainly be in trouble, mister! Neji," she said, voice suddenly light and sweet as she turned to the startled brunette, "do make him tend to the dear, will you? There's hardly any decoration in this place, it feels so _sterile_."

_I think it's fine,_ Neji thought, but he simply nodded. "Of course."

"Good. Well, then, you boys will have to come visit soon and I'll make you something nice. You haven't had one of our puddings yet, have you? I--"

"He has," Shikamaru interrupted. "Mom. Relax."

"He_has_?" Yoshino turned to Neji with a stunned look. "Have you come over before when I wasn't around? Where on earth have you had our food before?"

"Sh-- Shikamaru made it last week," Neji replied, swallowing at being on the receiving end of that demanding stare. "It was good."

Yoshino spun around to give her son an accusatory glare. "You cook? You_bake_?_Willingly_? Why on earth did you always fight having to help me in the kitchen?! And behaving as if you didn't know what the ingredients were, or the next step..."

"If I acted like I was actually _learning_ from you, you would have made me cook more often," Shikamaru pointed out. "Mom, are you done yet? We were in the middle of a game."

"You and your games! Honestly, sometimes I regret letting your father teach you _shougi_ so young-- you push off so many of your responsibilities for it!"

"And you taught me _go_," Shikamaru reminded.

"And believe me, I regret that as well! Honestly, if that game kept you from getting better grades at the Academy..."

"I didn't need better grades at the Academy. My marks don't matter once I'm graduated, so why should I put in the effort to do anything more than pass?"

"It's that complete lack of ambition that's the problem with you, sir. Honestly, who would want to marry somebody as careless and unmotivated as you? You're _just_ like your father!"

"And you married him."

"Well, that's _completely_ beside the point."

"No, it's not. Mom."

Yoshino smacked the back of his head as she walked by. "All right, all right, I'm going. You're _so_ impatient."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I'm _very_ patient. You're the one who never slows down."

"Just what do you mean by that?"

"That you're impressively active and efficient, and somebody as passive as him couldn't imagine managing keep up," Neji answered as he got to his feet and moved over to join the Naras. Shikamaru shot him a grateful look as Yoshino immediately took her attention off of him to sparkle happily at the Hyuuga.

"Oh, Neji, darling, that's _so_ kind of you to say! You're _such_ a sweet boy, Shikamaru doesn't deserve a friend like you. I do hope you'll be a good influence on him, and that he doesn't just end up corrupting you."

_Too late,_ both men thought, recalling sleeping in until noon the previous morning.

"Mom."

"Okay, all right, I'm going!"

"Thank you."

Shikamaru handed her the coat she'd removed less than five minutes before, and she turned to make him help her put it on. He did, grimacing when she turned to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Now, take care, and make sure you're eating enough, and don't sleep too much, and don't keep Neji here too long. I'm sure he'll want to celebrate with his family, after all."

_Not likely,_ Neji mentally scoffed. His relationship with his uncle and cousins had certainly improved massively over the last few years, but there still was, and probably always would be, some distance between them. Still, he smiled politely and shrugged.

They waved good-bye as Yoshino took her leave, waiting for her to be out of sight before closing the door, leaning back against it, and letting out twin sighs in unison. "I always feel completely exhausted whenever she's around," Neji complained.

"Yeah? Imagine _living_ with her. Can you really blame me for being the way I am?"

"I guess not." Neji eyed the flower thoughtfully, trying to remember something, before giving up. He gestured toward _shougi_. "Your move."

Returning to their forgotten food and less-forgotten match, they settled down and resumed the game.

* * *

**A/N:**  
"Omedetou" "Congratulations!" (informal)  
The blue spider chrysanthemum: http:**(slashslash)**image05**(dot)**webshots**(dot)**com/5/0/79/27/80807927lTRybD**(underscore)**fs**(dot)**jpg  
And to ward off any suspicion that might happen-- no, it's not going to be a deathfic. The symbolism of the flower isn't exactly foreshadowing anything _quite_ that extreme. XD  
Thanks for reading! -mwah- Please let me know what you thought!


	7. Chapter 7

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 07  
**A/N:**  
This chapter is_ entirely_ about why the fic is named what it is. It's probably the chapter I've been most looking forward to this entire fic-- which is funny, as it was planned to be somewhat short, but ended up longer than I'd anticipated. Definitely not as long as the last two, though.  
I should probably warn you that it's a tad much darker than its preceding chapters, thanks to all the depressing documentaries I've been watching in class lately. There may be some disturbing descriptions. You are warned.

**REVIEWS:**  
_essenceofthedark:_ Thank you, dear. †.†  
_BrevityofWit:_ You're welcome. :3 You were asking for the title, sooo... XD This chapter is actually the reason that it's named what it is, though, so hopefully it pleases you.  
_anabel sinclair:_ :D Neji's antipathy is mostly that he's still wary of how hyperactive Naruto is compared to how quiet and sweet Hinata is, and that he isn't sure what exactly Naruto wants with her. Everyone knows Hinata's been in love with him for so long, Neji doesn't want her to get taken advantage of. He doesn't think Naruto would hurt her deliberately, buuut Naruto can be kinda dense, sooo... :3  
_Kagome Raya:_ XD My mom and I used to have conversations when I was half-awake at 3:30 AM, since that was when she had to leave for work when I was growing up. So I can relate. "Stupid game"? A sport? Ooh, which sport? Thanks for reading and enjoying!  
_shii:_ :flattered: Thank you, darlin'. Don't be jealous, just enjoy. :3 :offers a ShikaNeji dual-plushie to cuddle:  
_Aarien-sama:_ Ummm... no? XD Thank you, though. :hug:  
_Helios:_ XD I'm sorryyy. I'm trying to update on a weekly basis, but we'll see what happens with final exams coming up. I tend to like one super traditional pairing (in Naruto, I like both SasuNaru and NaruHina P) and one really uncommon pairing (ShikaNeji) so I feel your pain. :hug:  
_Love Psycho:_ Sorry about the confusion with the URL. Stupid FFNet stripping underscores... :sigh: Anyway-- hot chocolate and cookies actually sound REALLY good IRL at the moment... XD Thanks. :mwah:  
_rowanashke:_ Yes, yes he is. :3 All stoic, stuffy pretty-boys need to get seduc-- I mean, corrupted. n.n Neee. :3 Thanks for reading!  
_AttentionDeficitDisorder:_ :P It annoys me to no end when characters are just kind of shoved at each other, tossed into bed, and assumed everything'll work out, so I try to avoid doing that in my own stories. ·.·; I'm happy to make you incoherent!

* * *

Eleven days after the party, Neji was dispatched on a mission to a village a three-day travel away. As he was being sent solely for surveillance purposes and was not, under any circumstances, to get involved before ordered to, he'd be going alone. He was unconcerned with the mission itself, but once hearing about it, Shikamaru had become strangely quiet. Quieter than usual, at any rate.

The day before he was due to depart, Neji packed what he'd need from the Hyuuga compound, then went by Shikamaru's to grab a few last items. Shikamaru was curled up on the couch when he unlocked the door and let himself in, reading and having a cigarette. Neji grimaced at the scent, shaking his head but not commenting on it. Shikamaru had cut the cigarettes back to twice or thrice a day on average, so he couldn't really complain. He fetched the spare toothbrush, bandages, and a couple of other things he'd left over, securing them in his bag before going over to stand behind the couch. "The Godaime expects that I should be back within ten days or so, so don't forget to water the mum. Watch the weather, bring the fern in if it starts getting windy," he reminded.

"Yeah," Shikamaru replied noncommittally.

Neji frowned. _What the hell's wrong with him?_ He shook his head. "Well, I'm off, then." He started to turn away, but paused when Shikamaru reached out to grab the end of his sleeve. Glancing back, he saw the shadow nin eyeing him seriously. "Yes?"

"Neji..." Shikamaru sighed, letting go. "Just... be careful, okay? It's not going to be like the missions you're used to."

Rolling his eyes-- not something he did regularly, but he'd picked up the habit from the other man somewhere along the way-- Neji gave him an even look. "I'll be fine, Nara."

"I know. Anyway... think of it like a test, okay? Be prepared for anything."

"You don't have to tell me that. What's gotten into you? It's not like you to worry," Neji remarked. His words and expression were dismissive, but there was an uneasy twisting in his stomach. _He wouldn't be acting like this if he didn't think it was important,_ reason pointed out. _But what does he think I am, delicate? I'm not Hinata._ "Besides, it's just surveillance."

Shikamaru snorted, seeming to go back to being himself. "Who says I'm worrying? I'm just telling you to be careful. And remember what Tsunade said-- don't get involved, no matter what you see, no matter how much you want to."

"I'm not going to disobey mission orders. I'll be _fine_," Neji sighed, shouldering his bag and heading for the door. "Anyway, see you in ten days."

"Yeah..." Shikamaru watched him leave, brow furrowed in thought. Once the other man was gone, he sighed and looked back at his book. Giving up after trying to read a few more pages, he got up, finished his cigarette, grabbed his keys, then headed out to train and expend some energy.

* * *

It was almost three weeks before Neji came home.

A little after ten P.M., Shikamaru had just put away a drawing he'd been working on when he heard something outside the door. He eyed the entrance warily, and tensed when he heard a key in the lock and the door opened to reveal the familiar form of his friend and sometimes-roommate.

Neji didn't appear to be injured-- at least, not enough to be problematic. He seemed tired, unsurprisingly, but there wasn't so much as a scratch on him. Not even a strand of hair was out of place, and sometime along his return route, he'd apparently stopped somewhere to change out of his uniform and into regular slacks, a long-sleeved shirt, and a knee-length coat. He seemed to be as fit and fine as ever.

What_was_ unnerving was how disturbingly blank his expression was. Contrary to what many thought, the Hyuuga eyes expressed as much emotion as anybody else's if one paid attention. Now, however, Neji's eyes betrayed nothing. Still, many high-ranking ninjas-- especially jounin-- returned from particularly grave mission in much the same way, and Shikamaru knew that he, for one, often did as well. The mood tended to pass quicker the more they got used to their duties. Neji wouldn't break.

Shikamaru started to relax.

The relief quickly turned into confusion when he saw what was in Neji's arms. "Neji... what the hell?"

Shifting the weight of the box to one arm, Neji let his bag drop by the door and shut and locked the door behind himself. He didn't say anything, shaking his head instead as he entered the living room.

Concern returning, Shikamaru went to the kitchen to fetch a few tall containers and fill them with water. He brought them over to the corner where Neji was knelt at, setting them down and helping him separate and arrange the three dozen bright flowers he'd brought. Finishing, they sat back on the floor.

It was several minutes before either of them spoke. "'If we may be permitted a generalization, the chrysanthemum is a flower which singly gives an impression of loneliness,' Neji quoted, slowly and softly. Shikamaru glanced at him as he continued. "'-- But when in the thousands, creates a very cheerful effect.'"

_It's not like him to deliberately seek out something 'cheerful,' much less go out and buy thirty-six flowers. Christ, what did he see on the mission...?_ A few seconds went by as Shikamaru weighed asking versus contemplating why that line sounded naggingly familiar, before his memory fell into place. He let out a slow breath. "Futabatei Shimei?"

Neji nodded.

Another minute or two ticked by before Shikamaru cautiously asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Neji shook his head.

"Okay. Do you need something to eat?"

This time, Neji hesitated before shaking his head.

"Drink?"

"... Maybe."

Shikamaru got to his feet. "Alcoholic or not?"

"Not."

"All right. Go get changed."

At first, Neji remained where he was as Shikamaru headed for the kitchen, lost in his thoughts. Eventually standing, he went to retrieve his bag, then dragged himself listlessly to the bedroom to change into just shorts (another habit he'd picked up from Shikamaru-- the blankets really did feel nice). He ducked into the bathroom briefly to wash his face, but instead of going back to the main room, he returned to drop onto the bed. With his back against the headboard, head tilted up, he stared at the ceiling and let his mind go blank.

Shikamaru entered shortly thereafter and handed him a peach smoothie.

Without a word, he settled down next to his friend. Neji glanced at him, and for a moment, Shikamaru wondered if he should give Neji some space; a small nod of thanks, however, soothed his concerns, and he relaxed.

They nursed their drinks in silent companionship for the next hour. Shikamaru took their empty glasses-- briefly startling Neji from his reverie-- to the kitchen, and by the time he returned, Neji had curled up under the covers. Rather than taking his usual place on the edge of the bed, however, he was lying facing the wall.

To some small degree, this pleased Shikamaru-- that Neji felt comfortable enough there to not need to hover within reach of an easy escape, as had been the purpose of their original sleeping positions. To a greater degree, however, it worried him to see the strong, proud man acting so unsettled, almost vulnerable. Still, he knew as well as any jounin what an impact that first severe mission could make. The fact that a surveillance-only mission could rank so high only meant either that the route or location were extremely dangerous-- in which case a team of ninjas would have gone together-- or that what the jounin would witness wasn't something somebody faint of heart could stand.

Still, Neji hadn't returned a shaking, shattered mess, as he'd seen some ninja do, so Shikamaru was certain that he would be fine. Without a doubt, that must have been the reason Neji had been gone twice as long as planned: he would have observed his own weakness and tended to it somewhere alone before returning to Konoha. On his own first mission, Shikamaru had also been delayed by several days to collect his thoughts. Even then he'd returned when he did only after carefully sealing away his emotions and relying solely on cold cognition until enough time had passed that he could squarely face what he'd seen.

But Neji was stronger than he was, Shikamaru knew, and not so afraid to face himself. All he could offer him was a place to come home to and unwind. It might take some time, but the Hyuuga would recover.

Turning off the lights, Shikamaru slipped under the covers. They bade each other good-night, and went to sleep.

* * *

It was about 3 AM when Shikamaru was stirred awake.

At first, he wasn't sure what had woken him. The room was silent and still, and at his side, Neji was quietly asleep. Sighing, he rubbed his eyes and stretched, adjusting the blankets more snugly and closing his eyes again to sleep.

And then there it was.

Just the slightest of tremors-- an unmistakable tension in the shoulders-- a quiet sound, higher than a breath but not quite a whimper. Shikamaru turned his head to eye Neji's back worriedly, brow furrowed. There was nothing else for a few moments, and then a small convulsion wracked the other man's pale, slim form.

Sighing, Shikamaru propped himself up on his left elbow and reached out to place a gentle hand on Neji's arm. He called his name softly, not wanting to startle him but trying to pull him out of the nightmares he knew were going on in that restless mind. Neji didn't respond except to tense again, and Shikamaru cleared his throat and gave him a small shake. "Ne--"

An instant later, he found his wrist held in a painfully tight grip when Neji sat up sharply, muscles wound as tightly as a coiled cobra and eyes unnaturally bright and wide. His breath came out in short, laboured gasps as his throat constricted, senses alert for danger.

Shikamaru held his breath.

Neither was sure how much time had passed before Neji began to relax, loosening his grip on Shikamaru's arm. "Sorry," he murmured in a low, hoarse tone, finally closing his eyes.

"Don't worry about it," Shikamaru replied just as quietly, keeping a cautious eye on his friend. Shoulders drawn up defensively, blankets wound around his waist and loose, messy hair clinging to his sweat-dampened neck and back, Shikamaru felt a sharp stab of sympathy at the desolate sight. _Empathy,_ he corrected himself wearily. _He looks like I felt that first night._

Neji didn't reply, and Shikamaru couldn't help but feel like his friend was on a completely different plane rather than sitting inches away. Feeling a cold draft in the room, Shikamaru glanced toward the window warily, but found it closed; Neji's subsequent shiver, however, confirmed that he wasn't the only one feeling the chill. There was just something about waking up from a bloody nightmare just to realize that it was a memory...

Before he knew what he was doing, he reached out to the brunette. Neji looked up with a startled face as Shikamaru slipped an arm around his back and pulled him close. "Shika-- what--?"

"Relax," Shikamaru murmured soothingly, resting his cheek against the edgy man's temple. Lifting his other hand, he drew it through Neji's hair, loosening it from the sticky, salty skin and straightening out the tangles. He moved in slow, steady motions, touch gentle and reassuring, and despite that it should have been an incredibly awkward situation there was absolutely nothing suggestive about the comforting gesture.

Neji felt like crying.

He'd known he couldn't go back to the Hyuuga compound straight after the mission. Hinata was too damn sensitive, and she would have picked up instantly that something was wrong. Shikamaru had as well, of course, but unlike him, she would have smothered him with mothering urges and struggled to 'fix' it. Trying to remain unperturbed around Hiashi would have been nigh on impossible.

But he didn't want to fall apart around Shikamaru, either. The mission itself had gone on for fourteen days, and the remaining week had been spent feeling sick and steeling himself for the return to Konoha. He wanted to maintain his composure as much as he could, and he definitely, _definitely_ didn't want to cry.

It was unacceptable to lose that much control.

But now, in the middle of the silent night, being held protectively in the arms of the one person he really felt he knew well enough-- and knew him well enough-- to call a friend, it was as if Shikamaru was telling him that it was all right to lose control. Wasn't that what he'd been saying these past several months-- that sometimes, even he had to let go?

So he did. Bringing uncertain, unsteady arms up, he clung to the younger man and let out a smothered sob. The knot suffocating his chest began to slowly unwind as he cried, mostly silent except for the occasional distressed mewl that under any other circumstance would have completely mortified him.

Later, Shikamaru would tell him that he cried for about twenty minutes, although it felt more like two hours. All he knew was that at the end of his breakdown, Shikamaru gently tucked him back into bed and left, returning moments later with a warm, damp cloth that he used to wipe at the drying tears on Neji's cheeks.

By the time Shikamaru had set the cloth aside and crawled back into bed, settling the covers cozily around them after drawing him close once more, Neji's mind had cleared enough to register two things: one, that Shikamaru was being so uncharacteristically... _tender_... and two, that he had just behaved deplorably by Hyuuga standards. A moment later, a third thought joined the pair: he couldn't bring himself to care.

Shikamaru had been right all along. Even he was human. No matter how strong he became and how much he trained, nothing could have prepared him for_that_, and the emotional release felt cathartic. Draining, but relieving as well. He could only imagine how much worse he'd have reacted if he'd never become friends with the other jounin before going on this mission, tense and angry and impatient. Maybe he wouldn't have felt so disgusted with himself, but it was also likely that he wouldn't have been alive to have any regrets.

They lay in silence, only their tight embrace confirming that neither was asleep. When Neji finally spoke, his voice came out rough and his throat felt raw. "How... how can you go on like this? Go on missions so... so _vulgar_, and stay so sane...?"

Rather than answer the question, Shikamaru remained silent. Something told him that Neji wasn't looking for a real answer yet, and that more than anything, he just needed to let his thoughts out. Instead, he stroked his hair soothingly, waiting for him to continue.

"I... I know Tsunade was right, to tell me not to get involved. I would have been completely overpowered in an instant, and killed for sure. But it felt so _wrong_ to walk away...

"After my dad died, all I could think about was feeling like a slave to my clan. I had to follow their orders, do whatever they said, lay my life down if they told me to. But I never realized how much _freedom_ I still had-- to go to school, learn, study, make friends. I hated the main branch for making me feel so caged, but I didn't realize how much of that cage I'd fashioned myself.

"But god... seeing a village like that--! It was like a _warzone_, but so one-sided. Every day I was there, hiding and watching, the village leaders--" Neji let out a short laugh, bitter and scornful. "If they can even be called that. The village officials would come through, taking everything from everyone. Sons would be stolen away for servitude, husbands beaten before their families, daughters r-- raped before their parents. Their homes ransacked, anything with the slightest value stolen away."

Shikamaru's hand stilled, and Neji began to tremble again as he focused on the horrific memories. The Nara resumed his patient caress, and a few shaky breaths later, Neji continued.

"The first time I saw what was going on, I was too shocked to move. I was staying with a family of four that the Hokage had sent me to, literally hiding in their cellar and watching from between the floorboards. The father, Mamoru-san-- he was a farmer at the edge of the village. The Godaime didn't elaborate, but I guess Mamoru-san got away from the village long enough to find a messenger from a nearby town and beg for help. I don't know how he wasn't killed when he came home, but...

"When I first arrived, it was already evening. Still, the officials came in the middle of the night, throwing the household upside-down. They weren't just high-nosed bullies, though-- they were completely brutal and heartless, but they were _trained_. It was like they'd spent their lives being taught how to destroy the lives of others. Like it was their _right_, and the villagers knew it. Amaya was _eight_, but she didn't do anything but cover her brother's face and stare when the officials started beating her father, telling her mother she'd be better off a whore if she wanted to protect her family. Kichirou never said a word, hiding behind his sister until the officials would go away. And after they were gone, everybody just... went back to their lives, trying to salvage whatever was broken, clean up-- Christ, _smile_! How could anyone become so used to that kind of life, that they just keep going...?

"And they considered themselves _lucky_. Mamoru-san's brother had struck a guard for touching his wife, and he'd had the fingers of his right had cut off, one by one, on the spot. Nobody had any hope. There were no schools, the land was terrible for farming, everybody was starving, and still, every day, more and more was taken from them. Most people didn't even have homes-- some slept in tents, some out in the streets or in the fields. And somehow, they just keep _living_, in the worst kind of destitution that I've ever even _heard_ of.

"I was so angry, I couldn't think-- I wanted to find the leaders and kill them, no matter what it took. But Mamoru-san warned me from the first day not to let myself be seen-- that their officials were nothing compared to the guards, they'd only send more, and everybody would be worse off. That if any of them knew I was there, I'd be killed instantly. He asked me to just stay quiet, and report back here-- tell the Godaime what I'd seen-- someday bring help.

"I was only there for four days, but I couldn't make myself just leave. For several more days, I stayed in the woods around the village, trying to decide what to do. How could I see something like that and walk away...?"

Neji fell silent. Shikamaru wondered if he were done, but he remained silent, giving him the chance to say whatever more might need to be said. Neji shifted to burrow more closely against his chest, and when he spoke again a few minutes later, his voice was muffled-- almost inaudible.

"I finally left. All those oppressed families, starving children, murdered people-- I left them behind to come home. And on the way, I found a woman. She was parched and malnourished, carrying a bundle of cloth in her arms, and they smelled _terrible_. I thought I'd pass out just standing near her. She didn't even have the strength to keep going, sitting curled up in the woods. I gave her some water and talked with her, but it became obvious that she was completely insane. All I could make out was that she was from that godforsaken village, and she wanted me to save her baby. I couldn't think what to do, but I knew that she was going to die at any moment-- and she did. Minutes after I took the baby from her, she died, smiling crazily.

"I've never held an infant before, but it didn't feel right. It was too light, too still. So I walked away from her, to the river, and I unwrapped the fabric, and-- oh, _god_."

Neji didn't have to explain; Shikamaru knew. Still, he'd fixedly begun telling the tale, and it seemed like he was voicing it aloud for himself even more than for Shikamaru, so he kept going.

"I can't even imagine how long that baby had been dead, but thank god it was. She must have been born deformed-- her head was enormous, face unnaturally pinched, and her belly had gotten so bloated that it had rotted and burst.

"It was too much. I should have buried it, and her mother, but I couldn't think-- I dropped it into the river, threw up, and ran. I went to the nearest town, to an inn, and just locked myself away for a few days, trying to come to grips with everything. You-- you've been a jounin for a while now. How do you _do_ this...?"

Shikamaru sighed, coughing to get his voice back before finally answering. "I'm... this seems like a twisted way to put it, but I'm lucky. You had to go in, not knowing what to expect, and come back without being allowed to do anything. And believe me, I know how awful that feels-- I had a similar experience my first solo mission as a jounin. But now, my job is different. My role is to figure out the way to make those kills you were denied. I get the preparatory information in advance, go in, and finish the task. I'm not so good at sneaking in, seeing everything that I can, and sneaking out-- I think too much, automatically start analyzing how to get it done instead of how to get out. So I don't have to deal with the... survivor's guilt, anymore." _My conscience is allowed to be put to rest._

Neji processed this. Then, accepting it, he nodded and relaxed.

As time ticked by, Shikamaru wondered if Neji had fallen asleep. Even as the thought occurred to him, however, Neji spoke again. "When I was at the inn..."

"Yeah?"

"The... last thing the woman had said to me was the baby's name. The entire time I was there, and the rest of the trip back, I just kept hearing it over and over-- while I was awake, while I was sleeping, if I was eating or bathing or whatever. I couldn't get it out of my head."

Shikamaru hesitated when Neji's voice trailed off before quietly asking, "what name...?"

Neji's shoulders tightened again, and his fingers dug into Shikamaru's back; no doubt they'd leave bruises the next morning. His whisper was so low, Shikamaru almost missed it-- and almost wished he had. He felt something lodge itself in his throat as the final piece of the puzzle fell into place: why Neji had returned looking the way he did, carrying what he did. Closing his eyes, he mouthed the word silently back into the night.

"_Kiku._"

* * *

**A/N:**  
- Not exactly a picker-upper, but this is definitely the darkest thing that will be in the entire story. The rest of the story will be back to the lighthearted mood of the previous chapters. I know this must have seemed sudden and out of place, but I felt a really strong need to stick in something of how hard it must be to be a jounin-- the kind of things they'd see and do. Since Neji got promoted to a jounin, I wanted him to go on a mission and discover just what it was he'd worked so hard to achieve, and what Shikamaru has been doing for however long. It's bleak, but it was a growing experience for him and a bonding moment for them both.  
- So, the gloomy inspiration for Neji's mission was a documentary I watched in my psychology class entitled "Beyond the Call" by Adrian Belic. It's an extremely deep, heartfelt film, but it's also definitely depressing as hell. The three men it follows are fascinating, and at times funny just with the way they talk and their personal hobbies, but the major content is extremely grave. I'd definitely recommend it to everyone who can stomach seeing a few corpses and deformed or emaciated infants.  
Mamoru: Boy's name, "protector" (father)  
Junko: Girl's name, "pure child" (mother)  
Amaya: Girl's name, "night rain" (eight years old)  
Kichirou: Boy's name, "lucky son" (five years old)  
Kiku: Girl's name, "chrysanthemum" (dead baby)  
Kiku is based after a baby from the documentary that made me feel sick and horrified looking at it. That baby was alive, though, and in one piece-- just barely. It didn't even look human, it was so awful.  
- Futabatei Shimei: The author of _Ukigumo_, © 1887 - 1889; the first modern Japanese novel in both subject and style. The title is most literally "Floating Cloud" (uki floating, like ukiyo-e print blocks) but the English translation called it "Drifting Cloud" instead, and I've also seen (for some reason) "Moving Cloud." The story doesn't really have anything to do with this fic; I just wanted to use that one line. XD It really stood out to me, and when I read it, for some reason I just pictured Neji quoting it all soft and sad while arranging some chrysanthemums in a vase. That's kind of where this fic started, I guess.  
There is one more reference to the mums coming up, but that won't be for a few more chapters.  
- Just for some reference if anybody's unsure of what time this is, it's near the end of November. Chapter one was mid-July, two was three days later, three and four were mid-August, five was the very end of August, six was the end of October, and it's been a month now, so end of November.


	8. Chapter 8

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 08  
**A/N:**  
A much, _much_ more lighthearted chapter to pick y'all up from the last. I'll warn you that the format is primarily dialogue, as it's both the easiest and the most fun for me to write. It's not a format I'll be using again in this fic, but even so, if you thought it was annoying, let me know. n.n For future reference and all.  
So, I really, really, really should have been writing two term papers and putting together a dialectic journal. Alas, dear grades, fanfiction calls. Who am I to ignore the plaintive cries of ShikaNeji?

* * *

**REVIEWS:**  
_Kagome Raya:_ I LOVE long reviews, so ramble away! Soon-to-be... XD We'll see how "soon to be" that is. But nah, I wouldn't call you a sadist for that. If I saw a real person suffering in front of me, I'd go blank and not be able to do anything, but in fiction it makes me giddy. :D  
_rowanashke:_ n.n Fortunately for you, the rest of the chapters will be light. Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
_anabel sinclair:_ What element, chrysanthemums or the contents of the last chapter? XD There'll be one more major chrysanthemum reference later on, but other than that, chrysanthemums are kind of background. They're there, without being intrusive. Hopefully. :P  
_BrevityofWit:_ You're very welcome! n.n And thank _you_ for reading and reviewing. :glomp:  
_Wing It:_ I love you. That was such an awesomely long and thorough review. I just love you. :smothering happy-hug: But most of what I'd have to say in response, I already e-mailed to you, so I'll keep this brief. :P Thank you!  
_they are ghouls:_ Thank you very much. :3 For your words, and for reading and reviewing. :beams:  
_AttentionDeficitDisorder:_ :D If something I wrote makes my readers cry, it makes me a very, VERY happy writer. :MWAH: (Well, assuming I intended for it to be sad. XD It'd kind of suck if someone cried from hating the story.)  
_Love Psycho:_ :3 Hope this chapter is a picker-upper from that last one, then. But go ahead and have some hot chocolate anyway, just 'cause it's so damn good! Have you ever had peppermint cocoa? Mmmm, heaven...  
_yaoi ad-ikt:_ o.o Thank you? XD And it's okay, no worries. n.n I love reviews, but it's not like I'm demanding everybody review every chapter because seriously, what the hell? XD And thanks for the explanation of your screenname. n.n Makes more sense now!  
_YUE-KonohasWhiteFang:_ Thank you. But don't feel bad! It hasn't been up for very long, so even if you had started reading it earlier, it wouldn't have been by much. XD

* * *

A curious murmur. "Neji..."

An embarrassed snap. "Don't start."

An amused inquiry. "Did you just fall off that branch?"

An aggravated response. "Shut _up_. I just... momentarily lost my balance."

A taunting reiteration. "You fell off the tree."

A stubborn retort. "No, I didn't."

A mocking confirmation. "Yeah, you did."

An irate correction. "I did not! I caught myself!"

An entertained modification. "Okay, you _almost_ fell off the tree."

A threatening confrontation. "Nara..."

A casual dissipation. "Hyuuga."

··· A sigh ···

* * *

"Please, do come in," Yoshino offered as she stepped to the side to admit the unexpected visitor.

Hiashi removed his _haori_ and nodded in thanks as he entered. "I apologize for coming unannounced. I just happened to be in the area, and thought to drop in..."

Yoshino tittered politely. "Oh, no, that's quite all right! My husband is napping right now, but I'll go wake him. Would you like some tea?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you."

She hurried off to the kitchen to put some hot water on the stove, then rushed upstairs to collect Shikaku. When he refused to be roused, however, she snatched away his pillow and hit him with it.

"Hey!"

"I said get _up_, you lazy, worthless man! Hiashi-san is here!"

"Stop hitting me!"

"Stop curling into the covers! What part of 'get up' don't you understand?!"

"The part where you hit me with a pillow!"

"Shikaku--"

Shikaku threw the covers over himself. Yoshino frowned at the completely ineffective shield, then glared and raised the pillow to hit him again. After all, she wasn't about to be thwarted from her mission of Wake the Spouse so easily.

So focused was she, however, that she failed to observe her surroundings. Silent and sly, a shadow came up from behind her and snatched it away. "Oh, don't you dare-- _SHIKAKU!_ You cheater!" she yelped as the pillow began to bombard her instead, although it carefully avoided her face.

"All's fair in love and war," Shikaku smirked as he wormed his way out of the covers.

Yoshino managed an impressive scowl despite her completely disheveled state. "Stop--! My hair!"

"You're still beautiful, don't worry."

"Don't think you can-- ow!-- charm your way--#&# -- out of this--#& -- one, mister!"

"Now, why would I do something like that?"

"You-- ow!-- _Shikaku_! I have water on the stove!" Yoshino finally blurted out in an angry protest. "It's going to burn!"

Sniggering a bit, Shikaku released the justu. "All right, all right."

"I can't believe you!" Yoshino scolded as she smoothed out her shirt and fixed her hair back up into a neat bun. "Not even your son would do something so immature!"

"You sure about that?" Shikaku yawned.

"Just get up and get down there!"

"Aiyaiyai, I hear you, woman. Quit screeching."

* * *

On the couch a floor below, Hiashi stared curiously up at the ceiling. Looking away, he shook his head. "Couples," he sighed.

* * *

Snickers. "Okay, _now_ who fell off the tree?"

Nonchalance. "The leaves were wet."

Smug. "Excuses, excuses. Give it up, Nara."

Jibing. "You really want me to bring up the hag again?"

Defensive. "She was concealing her chakra! How was I supposed to know a hunched-over old woman was going to ambush us from behind? She looked like she should've been on her _deathbed_."

Teasing. "Uh-huh. Still shouldn't have let down your guard."

Reminder. "Well, we got her in the end. One less sociopath raging through the villages."

Awe. "I guess. But _damn_, she was fast. Pretty impressive."

Scowls. "If you know that, quit criticizing me."

Smirk. "Hey, just trying to help."

Protests. "How is that helping?!"

Patronizing. "Can't have you forgetting such an important lesson, can we?"

Miffed. "I'll remember it on my own, thanks."

Reassurance. "No, really, it's no problem at all."

Drawled. "I'm sure."

Chuckles. "Man, when did you get so sarcastic?"

Grumbling. "You've been a _terrible_ influence on me."

Provocation. "Really? 'Cause, uh, I seem to remember something about you relaxing having some kind of connection to your promotion..."

Sardonic. "Shut up and watch where you're going."

Weary. "Yes, mother."

··· Acceptance ···

* * *

"_O-matase itashimashita,_" Yoshino apologized as she set a tray down on the coffee table and passed a cup and saucer over to their guest.

"No, no, it's quite all right," Hiashi dismissed with a wave of his hand as he picked up the tea. "I'm the one who dropped in without an invitation. How incredibly rude of me."

"Oh, dear-- no, you're welcome anytime!" Yoshino insisted. "We're very honoured."

Settling into his armchair, Shikaku leaned back comfortably. "To what do we owe the pleasure your visit?" he asked slightly gruffly, trying to keep from sounding too groggy in front of the other man.

"Shikaku!" Yoshino hissed. "He doesn't need a reason to--"

"Please, it's fine," Hiashi interrupted. "The truth is, my detour through your neighbourhood was no accident. There is a matter I'd like to discuss, if that is all right."

Shikaku and Yoshino exchanged looks before turning their attention back to the other man. "Is there a problem...?" Shikaku asked.

"Not at all." Hiashi smiled his politely distant smile. "Regarding your son..."

* * *

"What was wrong with that place?"

"I don't feel like it."

"Come on, Neji, we're just stopping by for a quick meal. If you're going to be picky about where we eat, we won't get back to Konoha by sundown."

"Then we won't get back by sundown. It's not like that's anything new."

"All right, then, just pick a place."

"I don't care."

"What? Yes, you do."

"No, not really. As long as it's not _that_ stand."

"... Why?"

"Everything on its menu is _curry_."

"You have some kind of hang-up about curry? What's the deal?"

"It's a long story."

"Oookay."

··· Patience ···

* * *

There was a moment of silence.

Hiashi cleared his throat. "I understand that it's an... unconventional idea, and I'd understand completely if it does not appeal to you. After all, should someone have approached me, I'm sure I would have taken some offense."

"Nah, it's nothing like that. It's just... not something we thought about," Shikaku explained, glancing at his frozen wife. "I mean, it's ultimately up to them, but... well, I'd have thought you'd want someone to carry on the family name? Since your next-in-line is a girl and all..."

"Ah..."

Shikaku and Yoshino weren't positive, but they could have sworn their self-contained guest shifted uncomfortably.

"As a matter of fact, my nephew has already decided against having biological children. Being from the branch family, should he produce offspring, then he would inevitably have to carry out his obligation to the clan and... well, they would be part of the branch family as well. So as our clan laws dictate..."

"I understand," Shikaku replied, freeing him from having to complete the sentence.

"Of course, I'm unaware of Shikamaru-san's own family intentions, but I'm sure he, too, is expected to pass on the Nara name?"

"Oh, he has plenty of male cousins," Yoshino assured, hands fidgeting with a handkerchief on her lap. "So that wouldn't really be a problem-- and besides, there are alternative means of starting a family. But really, I'm not sure how well he'd take to this suggestion..."

"In this sort of arranged situation, he would not be required to fulfill all duties of marriage, naturally," Hiashi clarified, not wanting to elaborate further on what those 'duties' were-- and knowing he didn't need to. "In fact, I would expect both to carry on with their social relationships however they please. Neji is hardly ever home for long these days anyway, so really, the only difference would be a legal union."

Yoshino tried not to look too relieved-- until her husband spoke. She shot him a tense look as he grunted, "Shikamaru wouldn't do that. He'd think it was troublesome to bother finding an affair outside of a marriage. Creates too much drama. Kid hates that kind of stuff."

"Well, as Neji has been actively disinclined toward establishing any close relationships of his own, they would be mutually apathetic to external factors in that regard." Hiashi took another sip of tea and Yoshino automatically followed suit. Shikaku's remained forgotten.

"But-- well, if that is what you'd like, then of course we'll discuss it with our son. But even if they wouldn't have to act the role of man and-- ah.. the roles of husbands," Yoshino corrected awkwardly, her handkerchief now tied into a complicated knot, "I would imagine their prides would suffer at the implications."

"Least we could do is ask the kid," Shikaku pointed out. "Leave it up to them to decide. Practically live together anyway, it's possible they just wouldn't care. You know how unenthusiastic Shikamaru is about everything."

"Of course I know," Yoshino frowned, gradually undoing the knot. "But there's a difference between trying to avoid hassles and carelessly committing yourself to such a lasting situation. Especially one that would call so much attention. Shikamaru's worked to avoid attention his entire life."

"There is that. But he has a strong sense of duty, too, and he's never careless about _anything_. Besides, a smartypants like that can't stay out of the spotlight _all_ the time."

"What did you call our son?!"

* * *

"You really would have married her?" Neji asked as he slid into the booth.

"Sure, why not?" Shikamaru shrugged as he slipped in across from the other.

"Even knowing that Naruto...?"

"Yeah, so? If he gave the go-ahead, then whatever sappy turmoil he might have felt as a result is invalidated. Besides..."

"What?"

"Imagine the leverage I'd have when Naruto succeeds Tsunade. Being married to the girl the rokudaime's in love with?"

"I can't believe you sometimes."

"Why?"

A waitress came by, and they ordered.

"Thinking of the situation in terms of having leverage over the village leader? It's too... deliberate. Opportunistic. Cold."

"It's not that big a deal. It'd be a different story if I couldn't stand the girl, but Hinata's not bad. Still a little on the spineless side, but much better than she used to be. Besides, she's got a figure Sakura and Ino would _kill_ for."

"You did _not_ just say that about my cousin."

"Actually, I did. Need it repeated?"

"Shikamaru..."

"Neji."

"I'd never speak to you again."

"... Wait, seriously?"

"Of course. It would be an awkward situation."

"Whatever."

"You don't think so?"

"Nah."

Neji glared. Shikamaru whistled.

"It makes you that pissed?"

"It makes me feel disgusted."

"Why? Jealous I'd be taking your sweet cousin's attention?"

"What--?"

"Or maybe jealous that she'd be taking mine?"

"_What_?!"

"Hmm, pretty defensive. You'd rather I marry _you_ instead?"

Neij was still sputtering angrily when the waitress dropped off their food and left.

··· Indignation ···

* * *

"We would have to approach them when they're not together," Shikaku mused. "Which usually seems to be just for work these days."

"That is very true," Hiashi agreed. "Fortunately, Neji is required to answer to me should I call him, so such a situation is easily created. I'll summon him three days after they return home, and give you the opportunity to discuss the possibility with your son then. Perhaps a meeting could be arranged for the following Saturday?"

"That's fine by us, but what, exactly, should we tell him?" Yoshino asks worriedly, handkerchief back in a knot. "He already lives with Neji, so if they both know what's going on, I would expect that it would be uncomfortable for them in the interim."

Hiashi shook his head. "I have no intention of revealing who the candidate is until the meeting. Neji is generally so disinterested that he never cares to know in advance. Should he consent to meeting with a male, I will leave Shikamaru's name out of the discussion."

Shikaku glanced at his wife. "Shikamaru's pretty indifferent, too."

"But it's such an unusual situation, I'm sure he'd want to know _who_ he's meeting, at least--! Hiding it would only make him suspicious, and there's a chance that he'd figure it out on his own..."

"Then he figures it out. Yoshino, let's just give it a chance and see how things go," Shikaku coaxed. "Yes, there are many reasons why either side may refuse, and in that case, it's no different from every other _o-miai_. There's also the possibility that they'll accept."

"However unlikely that is..."

"Maybe not as unlikely as you think."

"What do you mean by that?!"

"Nothing, dear, nothing..."

* * *

"Christ, it's good to be home. I'm exhausted."

"You're _always_ exhausted."

"No, I'm always _lazy_. You don't have to be exhausted to not want to do anything."

"You're ridiculously lethargic."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Don't you know _everything_?"

"Very funny, Hyuuga. Just for that, I'm showering first."

"But you take _forever_."

"The water feels good."

"So shower second and take as long as you want while I sleep."

"I don't think so. I'll be quick."

"You're _never_ quick."

"Five minutes, tops."

"Fine."

* * *

"Nara. You're late."

"Hyuuga. No, I'm not."

"Five minutes, twenty-three seconds."

"Aha-- but you counted the time _after_ as well. Drying off is not part of the definition of 'shower'."

"That's cheating!"

"Ooh, so petulant."

"Y--"

"Shut up and take your shower, Hyuuga. I'm going to bed."

* * *

"_Now_ who took forever in the shower?"

"The water felt good."

"Tch'. You can't use my words against me."

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I was timing you."

"And?"

"Twenty-two minutes, fourteen seconds. That's how long the shower water was running. Just under another ten minutes between that and you coming in here."

"You want wet pillows?"

"Hey, I'm not criticizing. Just observing."

"Right."

"Sounds like _some_body hasn't been getting enough sleep, Grouchy."

"Not everyone sleeps like the dead in the middle of a mission. If we'd been ambushed while you were asleep..."

"I wake up when my instincts tell me to. And we're fine, right? Got the target and everything."

"One of these days, your instincts will fail you."

"Hmmm, anticipating my painful demise?"

"Thinking you should be more careful."

"Are you actually _worrying_ about me? Aw, that's so _swe--_"

"Shut up and go to sleep."

"Yes, sir."

"Good-night."

"Good-night."

* * *

"Mrrr...? Wha..."

"You were having another nightmare."

"... It's been two months."

"Not enough time."

"When will they stop?"

"Maybe tomorrow, maybe never. I still have nightmares sometimes, you know."

"You're silent."

"I guess."

"You 'guess'? You don't wake up in the middle of the night shaking and sweating."

"Yeah, drama's not my style."

"Shikamaru..."

"I'm just kidding."

"Not the time."

"I know."

"... What are you doing?"

"Come here."

"What--?!"

"You sleep better like this."

"If you try anything..."

"Now, why would I do that? Don't you trust me?"

"... Yes. I do."

"Good. Good-night."

"Good-night."

··· Sweet dreams. ···

* * *

**A/N:**  
_O-matase itashimashita_: I could have BSed something English for this, but it seemed cheap. Literally, it just means "I have caused you to wait," but it's a fixed expression that's more of an apology, and uses extremely humble language. So it's kind of like, "I'm deeply sorry for making you wait"-- very deferential. Since English doesn't have the same type of polite registers that Japanese does, I wanted to make a note of how they'd be speaking to Hiashi.


	9. Chapter 9

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 09  
**A/N:**  
First off, I've moved review replies to end of the document. n.n; They were starting to take up a lot of space at the top-- which surprises, but also incredibly delights, me-- so now everybody who doesn't want to read them can just go straight to the fic. n.n Let me know if this bothers anybody. O.o; Not that I can see why it would. XD  
Second, I vaaaguely get what goes on with Sasuke, up to his battle with Itachi, but I don't know any details about him. This is a disclaimer for anything totally off I may have said about him. (I know enough to think that both he and Itachi are incredibly fixated on each other. XD Cuuute!) But I don't know what happens after that battle. u.u; So... B.S. warning. XD  
Third, since writing the first time Shikamaru smoked, I've learned that he quit smoking after Asuma was avenged. XD But it's a bit late for that, so I'm leaving it in here.  
Fourth... this chapter was _so_ damn fun to write. XD

* * *

Suffering his formal _o-miai_ attire again, Neji sat on a cushion in a tatami room just outside of the city. The teahouse his uncle had brought him to was classically elegant: the simplicity of the room was ornamented only with the low table and cushions that Hiashi and Neji waited at and an _ikebana_ arrangement sitting in the _tokonoma_ beneath a _tatejiku_ scroll. The sliding _shouji_ doors on one side of the room led to the landing that created a square around the delicate garden outside, while identical doors on the other side of the room returned to the shared space of the institution.

The other family was late.

Neji sighed. Granted, it was only by a few minutes, and the teahouse _was_ incredibly out of the way. He couldn't understand why such an inconvenient location had been picked in the first place; at any other time, the other party always came to the Hyuuga compound. He also couldn't understand why his uncle was being so secretive about this meeting.

_At the dinner table, Hiashi set down his chopsticks, took a drink of sake, and addressed his nephew. "Neji."_

_"Yes, Hiashi-sama?_

_"Are you really as indifferent to the marriage process as you present yourself to be?"_

_Neji hesitated, then frowned. He'd known this sort of talk had been coming all along, but really-- here, now? With his cousins with them? "Well, I... I would rather not marry somebody whom I couldn't stand to remain with for the rest of my life. It would be completely miserable for the both of us, and in the case of an inter-clan marriage especially, counterproductive to the prospect of a peaceful political union."_

_Hinata and Hanabi exchanged uncomfortable looks before turning back silently to their dinners._

_"You've offered no suggestions as to the sort of partner you'd prefer," Hiashi pointed out._

_"I don't have much of a preference, I'm afraid. It's not something I think about."_

_"Perhaps you should."_

_"Forgive me, sir, but I've been more preoccupied with missions as of late."_

_"I'm perfectly aware of that, but your responsibilities to your work do not negate your responsibilities to your clan."_

_"I understand that, sir." Neji stifled his mixed annoyance and embarrassment at being chastized._

_"Well, then..." Hiashi began before Hinata-- lovely, sweet, intuitive, blessed Hinata-- spoke up._

_"F-- father?"_

_Hiashi sighed. "Yes, Hinata?"_

_"May H-- Hanabi and I b-be excused...? We-- we've finished our dinners, and..."_

_Hanabi shot her sister a sharp look, smacking her leg beneath the table. Hinata pinched her back._

_Glancing between the girls with exasperated amusement, Hiashi nodded. "All right, go ahead. Neji, you are to remain here."_

_"Yes, sir."_

_As Hinata stood, pulling her reluctant sibling with her, she gave Neji an encouraging smile. He returned it with a slightly grateful one of his own before smoothing out his expression again._

_Once the girls were gone, Hiashi cleared his throat. "Now, then. Without further interruption: Neji."_

_"Sir?"_

_"I will be direct with you. We have introduced you to virtually all of your eligible, marriage-aged female cousins, you've met a number of clan allies, and you haven't once shown an ounce of interest. You'll hardly speak to the poor girls, and you're dismissively polite at best."_

_"I'm sorr--"_

_"I'm not asking you to be sorry, Neji," Hiashi interrupted. "You are free to have your own opinions. I do, however, ask that you be more cooperative."_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Good," Hiashi nodded. "Now, then... I have a suggestion that may offend you at first, but I'd like you to swallow your pride and consider it. Please remember that I'm only looking out for your best interests-- I want to see you peacefully settled down, in as suitable a union as possible."_

_Neji felt something pitting in his stomach. What sort of 'suggestion' was this going to be, if his uncle was already anticipating that he'd be against it? "Sir?"_

_Pushing aside his empty plate, Hiashi took another sip of his beverage before folding his hands in his lap. He eyed the young jounin evenly before speaking, ever the picture of perfect composure. "You do not intend to bear any biological offspring, I believe?"_

_"... That is correct, sir," Neji confirmed._

_"And although it may be preferable, you are not strictly set on marrying somebody for whom you harbour romantic attachments?"_

_What? "I-- I suppose that is true," Neji replied cautiously._

_"Then you would be satisfied in a marriage to an individual with whom you share a functional partnership, in which you would not necessarily be required to act as man and wife?"_

_This was getting increasingly bizarre. "I-- perhaps. Hiashi-sama," Neji added hastily, "I'm not sure I entirely understand what you're getting at...?"_

_"You're not expected to." Hiashi gave the other man a smile, but one laced with some tension as he tried to predict how Neji would respond. "How averse would you be to a marriage to a... man?"_

_"What?!"_

Neji thought he'd taken the news extremely well. He hadn't angrily gone off at his uncle, he hadn't thrown a tantrum, and he hadn't stormed from the room. Really, what more could be asked of him?

The two Hyuuga men had discussed the possibilitiy for an hour, Neji adamantly protesting while Hiashi asked him to consider it-- _"even if just once. Nobody would expect any sort of couple behaviour, but it's a clan union that I've had my eye on for a while." _

_"For me?"_

_"No, of course not-- for one of your cousins."_

Perhaps that should have triggered some realization for what was ahead, but he'd been too up-in-arms to think clearly.

In any case, Neji had finally wearily given in when it seemed like Hiashi wasn't about to let up on the topic, agreeing that he'd only attend _once_, and if-- when-- that failed, he'd never have to hear the possibility again. So here he was, spending his Saturday in a teahouse he'd never_heard_ of, not even having been allowed to go home-- er, to Shikamaru's apartment-- as it had only been a couple of days.

It wasn't that Neji was homophobic, by any means. Still, being with a man had never been an idea that he'd considered for himself. Sure, he could gauge if another male was an attractive individual, but it was generally an objective deduction. The only man who had ever stepped outside those bounds of detached observation to affect him more personally was Shikamaru-- who, of course, was _only_ a friend, and whom he trusted with his life. It was platonic affection, not... _attraction_. The idea of him having any such sentiment toward somebody the same sex as himself was ludicrous.

Hell, the idea of such sentiment toward a _woman_ was very nearly ludicrous. He didn't do... romance.

Even if he wasn't required to-- to-- _do_ anything with a male p... 'partner'... it was still the implication that counted. He shouldn't even have to be here-- it should be a given-- but if one embarrassing meeting would be enough to deter his uncle from the subject again, it would be well-worth it. Gods, he hoped the other party wasn't some flamboyant nutjob.

Then again, he could _almost_ see Hiashi's point. If all he'd have to do would be share a legal union and perhaps live in the same house for a time-- well, it could be a roommate situation, like with Shikamaru. They would undoubtedly have separate rooms, so it was plausible that if they got along well enough to not destroy their house fighting, they could peacefully coexist with minimal interaction.

And there was the unlikely possibility that he'd get along with the person.

No, wait-- scratch that. There was pretty much no chance of that. At least, not enough to _live_ with them.

This was ridiculous.

A knock on the door drew the Hyuugas' attention, and the _shouji_ panel slid aside to reveal one of the _kimono_-clad hostesses. She gave them a low bow. "The rest of your party has arrived," she announced.

"Good. Send them in," Hiashi ordered. The woman bowed again, then scooted to the side to make room for the guests.

Wait. Wasn't he-- and she-- they were--

The next moment, Neji's heart stopped.

He stared in dumbfounded horror as Shikamaru stepped into the room with a bored yawn. When he saw Neji, he paused. Rather than looking particularly shocked or becoming explosive, however, he simply let out a soft snort. "Great. Why am I even surprised?" he sighed. "Mother..."

Scowling at him for behaving so disrespectfully, Yoshino grabbed his arm and yanked him over to the table. Forcing him down beside Neji, she and her husband bowed to Hiashi before taking their seats. "_Osoku natte doumo sumimasen. Moushiwake gozaimasen,_" she apologized humbly. "We ran into some... trouble along the way."

"Trouble? Well, I'm quite sorry myself for having inconvenienced you so greatly, then." Hiashi seemed to be quite contrite indeed, oddly enough.

"Nah, it was nothing." Shikaku reached around behind his wife to pat his son on the shoulder. "Didn't even have to move from our seats to take care of 'em."

"Spooked the driver and horses, though," Shikamaru added with a smirk.

Neji shot him an irritated look. "How can you be so calm about this!" he demanded in a low hiss.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "What good's freaking out? Besides, I knew mom was planning _something_ annoyingly devious, I just couldn't tell _what_."

"Shikamaru!"

"What? It's true. You were slinking and acting all smug."

"I was not--!"

"Yeah, you were. You _really_ suck at trying to pretend you're not hiding something."

"Should you really be so rude to your mother?" Hiashi asked sharply. Regretfully, he recalled the young man's indifference to proper social decorum at Hinata's _o-miai_.

"Yeah, she expects it," Shikamaru assured. "If I acted polite and deferential, she'd just be suspicious that I was up to something." He glanced at his mother. "Right?"

"Well, naturally. You haven't been a respectful child a day in your life," Yoshino sniffed. Exasperation fading a bit, she smiled affectionately and patted his cheek, flicking her fingers at it instead when he grimaced. "But you also never ask for anything, so there's no need to try planning anything roundabout with me, honey."

"I'm sure he's well aware of that, dear," Shikaku drawled.

Watching the family's interaction, Neji couldn't help but feel a pang. He wondered what his own life might have been like, had he grown up with a mother and a father...

As if remembering that he was there, Yoshino leaned over the table to smile brightly at Neji. "Oh, Neji, dear, you look so _handsome_ like that! Honestly, I was afraid living with my useless son was going to turn you into a slob, but you still dress up _so_ nicely--! My Shikamaru looks like a troll compared to you," she sighed wistfully.

"He looks fine," Neji replied without thinking. There was a sudden quiet in the room as everybody digested that comment before Neji's eyes widened. "I don't mean like _that_! I just--"

"We know, son, no need to exlain yourself," Shikaku chuckled, tense atmosphere smoothly washing away with his voice. "It was just-- well, given the situation, it was unexpected."

"In that case, shall we begin?" Hiashi suggested.

"Begin what?" Shikamaru asked, raising an eyebrow. "The cards are already laid out on the table, and both Neji and I have been through this process a dozen times each. It's not like we need a formal introduction, or some presentation on the other's merits."

"That is true, I suppose," Hiashi admitted, although his displeasure at having tradition interrupted was fairly obvious. "Well, then, I expect the both of you have questions?"

Shikamaru and Neji exchanged quick looks before the former shrugged and the latter frowned. "Uncle-- sir-- what's the meaning of this?" he demanded. "You can't be serious-- we're _friends_! This is already awkward enough as it is, nothing else is ever going to happen!"

"Is it so awkward?" Hiashi returned easily. "Your friend there doesn't seem to mind-- do you, Shikamaru-san?" He was determined to keep Shikamaru in the conversation to avoid any nasty surprises the young jounin might have up his sleeve this time. Naruto had finally approached him, but without Hinata's knowledge-- apparently trying to do the "right thing" ("proper" would have been a more adequate word choice) and request Hiashi's permission to court his eldest. Although he knew of the lad's impulsive, often outrageous nature, he'd been distracted by the unusual display of foresight and etiquette, and given in. Besides, the boy was well on his way to being the next Hokage, and what clan _wouldn't_ want to claim the village leader as one of their own?

Shikamaru blinked slowly at him. "Well, I think it's kind of pointless to have set up this entire elaborate scheme to get us here in the first place, but it doesn't surprise me, either. I can also see the tactical benefits of bringing us out to the middle of nowhere to force the topic, as exasperating as it may be. Considering the fact that Neji and I are virtually roommates, I can't help but wonder if this meeting might leave behind some discomfort, but I don't see it as being problematic enough to severely damage our friendship."

Neji relaxed a bit as he felt a wave of relief. Trust Shikamaru to be able to much more eloquently put the same fears he'd been having.

Hiashi noticed his nephew's reaction, but didn't comment on it. _Interesting. The boy seems to be a calming influence on him,_ he mused. "Well, that's a nicely objective analysis, but it says little about your own opinion of the possible outcomes of this meeting. Would you be willing to consider it?"

"Sir--"

"Wait your turn, Neji," Hiashi instructed firmly, keeping his white eyes on Shikamaru's black ones.

The shadow nin tilted his head. "I don't really care. It seems to me that our lifestyles wouldn't really change much, but I also don't think that's any reason to go ahead and make this kind of commitment. Because we're already friends, unless we cut the proceedings immediately, I think it would need a lot more time and consideration."

"But you're willing to make those considerations?"

"Like I said, I don't care," Shikamaru repeated patiently, easily realizing that the man just wanted the clarification of emphasis. "It's a practical solution to both your and my parents' plans, I guess. While it's not something I'd pursue on my own, I don't have any particularly strong objections, either."

"Acceptable," Hiashi nodded.

Yoshino peered around her son. "Neji? What about you?" Neji jumped slightly, looking up at her warm, if nervous, smile. "What do you think, dear? You're over so often, you're already almost like family anyway," she reasoned. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable in any way, and heaven forbid this become a hindrance to your friendship, but I would appreciate hearing your honest perspective."

"I-- I don't think it's going to work," Neji answered sincerely. "I mean, if everybody else wants to consider it, then of course I'll think about the possibility as well, but I really and truly think we're better off maintaining the current status quo." _Besides, I've never really had a close friend before-- why would I want to lose one now?_

Before Yoshino could respond, there was another knock at the door and the hostess returned with a large tray of _kaiseki_. She entered and began passing around the smaller trays of fresh tea, sashimi, a soup dish, boiled rice, pickles and a variety of vegetable dishes. Bowing, she left once more, plunging the two families into silence.

"... Well, then. Shall we?" Shikaku suggested with one hand on the serving ware when nobody moved or spoke for several moments.

"Yes, let's," Hiashi agreed, lifting his chopsticks.

Taking up some harmless chitchat, Hiashi, Neji, Shikaku, Yoshino and Shikamaru began to eat.

* * *

Forty minutes later, Shikamaru and Neji left the room to wander outdoors. Their guardians were still indoors, enjoying post-lunch conversation to the accompaniment of a _shamisen_, but they had been permitted the opportunity to escape and discuss circumstances between themselves.

Walking slowly along the perimeter of the courtyard garden, they were silent for a few minutes before Neji finally spoke up, not sure if the silence was a comfortable or uncomfortable one. "Did you really not know?"

Shikamaru gave him an odd look. "Of course not. I would have warned you if I did."

"Hmm..."

"'Hmm' what?"

"You kind of... did."

"What?"

Neji sighed. "When we were coming back from the mission Wednesday. You made some kind of comment about marriage that annoyed me, but I can't remember what it was."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Don't be so paranoid. I was just playing off of something you'd said."

"We're ninjas," Neji reminded unnecessarily. "We're _supposed_ to be paranoid. It's suicide to not practice hypercaution."

"With everyone else, maybe," Shikamaru shrugged. "But I'd like to think everybody has at least _some_one that they can let their guard down around. It's usually family, sure, but a friend works, too."

"Really?" Neji asked drily. "Tell that to Sasuke, if he ever comes back."

"No reason to," Shikamaru yawned. "He's already got someone."

Neji blinked at him. "What are you talking about?"

Shikamaru paused by a tree to glance at his friend. "Naruto. Sure, a lot of bad shit went down and Sasuke may not ever feel comfortable about returning to Konoha, but Naruto's never given up on him. If Sasuke had never left, I'm pretty sure he and Naruto would've eventually gotten together--"

"_What!_"

"-- but as things are now, Naruto's not going to leave Hinata," he finished. "Even if they're not officially together yet, he's as dedicated to her as he is the Uchiha."

Neji frowned. "So you think Naruto's secretly in love with his biggest rival and former best friend--"

"No, I think that in a different situation, he _would have_ fallen for him," Shikamaru corrected.

"- and you already think Kiba's got a thing for Shino--"

"That's a fact, not theory."

"-- then what, you think half the _shinobi_ in Konoha have some kind of gay tendency?"

"No." Stepping off the platform, Shikamaru weaved between the trees along the stepping stones to a pond with a gently trickling fountain in the middle of the decorative flora. "I didn't say Kiba's interest is returned, and I think there's a lot more to Naruto's and Sasuke's relationship than 'they have a gay tendency for each other'."

Neji followed after him instinctively, settling down on the grassy patch beside him as they faced the water. "Care to elaborate?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Sasuke's never given Naruto shit for anything but being an idiot and being too optimistic. He treats Naruto-- and everyone-- honestly instead of putting up any façades, hence so often getting labeled as pissy or emo. He doesn't generally have a very high opinion of most people, but it's very clear that he _does_ respect Naruto, even if it frustrates him. Naruto's also just about the only person in our generation who really always stands up to Sasuke instead of taking his bull, and provides him with the unconditional support and faith that he doesn't get anywhere else. Sure, Sakura's obsessed with him, but her blind faith stems from a psycho crush from when they were kids. Naruto's more... real, I guess."

"You don't think you've overanalyzing things?" Neji was tempted to ask why Shikamaru even bothered paying attention to such trivial matters, but didn't-- he knew it was just the Nara's nature to examine everything and everyone around him, and it was probably more instinctual than with any particular effort.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Nope. I admit there's a slight possibility, but it's unlikely."

"Great," Neji muttered sarcastically, "so the guy Hinata's fixated on is bi at best."

Shikamaru cast him a sharp look. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Not really. It's just-- wait," Neji paused, returning the look with an uncertain one of his own. "You're not-- are you?"

"Would it be problematic if I were?"

Neji took a moment to genuinely consider that. "No," he decided. "It's just... surprising. I know you've been with girls, but-- seriously?"

"Mm. Being picky's not worth the effort."

Unexpectedly, Neji let out a laugh at that. "_That's_ your rationale? Only you, Shikamaru..." He smirked at his friend. "But by your logic, wouldn't it be more of a hassle to have to put up with both genders?"

"Not really. I wouldn't get involved with particularly troublesome people to begin with, for the most part," Shikamaru explained. "Besides, it's not as if I practice rampant sexuality with either, and I especially stay away from our peers here."

Neji blinked. "Why?"

"Awkwardness. Would _you_ want to mess around with somebody who might have to watch your back later?" Shikamaru drawled. "If things went mutually sour-- or worse, if the other person interpreted things as being more than they are, and things ended badly... well. I sure as hell wouldn't want Sakura's or Ino's tempers directed at me. Besides, most of the people here are out of the question anyway."

"For instance...?"

Shikamaru was clearly growing tired of the him-oriented discussion, but he replied anyway. Neji so rarely actually asked for information, he wasn't going to deny the man the opportunity to open up a little more. "Shino's interesting but kind of freaky, and I can't even tell what he looks like beneath his coat and shades. Kiba and Naruto are both hyperactive brats that take _way_ too much energy to keep up with. Sakura's a lunatic, Ino's like a sister, Chouji's like a brother, Sasuke's not around, Hinata's too passive."

For the most part agreeing with the analyses-- although, of course, Hinata's reason was more 'she's my immediate cousin' than 'she's too passive'-- Neji picked up on one tidbit. "'Sasuke's not around'? So-- what if he were?"

Shikamaru shot him a wry look. "Half of Konoha wants him. What do you _think_?" he asked mildly. "He's a little fucked up in the head, so no way would I want to actually get involved with him and have to deal with all his emotional baggage, but he's competitive, a perfectionist, and throws himself into things he actually takes an interest in. Damned if he wouldn't be good in bed."

Neji blushed. He couldn't help it-- he didn't generally think of himself as the shy sort, but he also never, _ever_ discussed this sort of thing with _anyone_. Not having much of a social life certainly put a damper on one's comfort with... certain... topics, and as his fair skin gradually flooded with colour, his own lack of experience clearly showed.

Shikamaru couldn't help but smile, although he did stifle his laugh. "You're a virgin, aren't you? Nothing wrong with that, especially with the screwed up crew we've got around here," he added lightly to let Neji know he wasn't making fun of him-- just seeking clarification. "But a lot of people thought you and Tenten..."

Scowling, Neji rubbed his cheek as he willed the blush to go away. He wouldn't admit it, but he was grateful for Shikamaru not poking fun at his reaction-- and for the countless other times the man overlooked some quirk or another. "She's been chasing me for years, but are you crazy? She's got an insane number of weapons at her disposal. I can barely get along with people on a day-to-day basis, I would _not_ want her mad at me."

Shikamaru smirked. "That's baaasically what I thought of her, too. That, and she's too... flat, boring. Might just be because I don't know her, but eh."

Neji blinked again. "You've thought about _my_ teammates, too?"

"Of course. I've worked with most of the ninjas around our age group," Shikamaru pointed out. "It's not like I'm assessing everyone for a potential partner or anything, but it just falls into the category of sizing somebody up. Thinking pros and cons about if it's worth getting along with somebody."

"I guess." Neji found himself relaxing, Shikamaru's casual, practical way of talking about it helping to alleviate some of his own embarrassment. "What about Lee?"

Shikamaru made a face. "You've _got_ to be joking. He's the weirdest person I've ever met. 'Weird' itself doesn't bother me, but he's ridiculously over the top. Besides, he's a little too infatuated with both Guy-sensei and Sakura, so I'd say his tastes are in question."

"Hmm." Neji hesitated, unsure of if he'd be overstepping the boundaries, before asking in a quiet, wary voice, "what about me?"

Shikamaru was silent as he thought about if he should answer that or-- like Neji feared-- if it would be overstepping their boundaries. "You really want to know?"

"... Maybe not." His curiosity nagging at him, Neji fought to push it aside. _It's better not to know. Things are already without a doubt going to be a little odd from now on-- thank you, Uncle Hiashi-- so I don't think I need the added factors. But now I'm... curious? What the hell?_

"Mmmkay."

_'Mmmkay'? He lets it go just like that?_ Neji bristled, even though he realized that the irritation was impractical. After all, not only had he made the decision to not know, but it was just Shikamaru's personality to be unconcerned. But was the other man really as indifferent to the current circumstances as he acted? How much of him was busily thinking of every angle, and how much of him honestly didn't care? Was he this apathetic with all of his _o-miai_s? Was Neji just another number to add to the list? Why did this bother him? They were friends-- a marriage wasn't even something to consider. Of _course_ Shikamaru was going to be dismissive, since it was an impossible situation anyway.

Shikamaru let out a slow breath. "You're annoyed at me."

"No, I'm not."

"Yeah, you are. You tensed up, and you're glaring at the fountain as if it should explode."

"I'm not annoyed at you, okay? I'm annoyed at myself," Neji retorted a little more sharply than he had intended. But that's what Shikamaru got for prying.

"For what?" Shikamaru asked, sounding slightly bewildered.

"For this. For all of this-- for coming out here, for letting myself get conned into this arrangement, for even considering it, for having to deal with all this clan business to begin with. For being curious what you think of me, but also for not wanting to know. For how everything might affect our friendship."

"It doesn't have to. But-- 'considering it'?" Shikamaru echoed cautiously.

Neji froze. He hadn't meant to say that at all-- it wasn't even true! "I-- I-- I don't mean _you_, I mean everything," he amended hurriedly. "The idea of-- well, my uncle reasoned that if I were to marry a woman I wasn't interested in, it's unlikely we'd be interacting much anyway, so even if I _were_ to marry a g-... guy, it'd just be a... roommate situation. Right?

_He sounded almost as bad as Hinata there. That's interesting. The subject makes him that nervous?_ "Well, I'd imagine it would depend on the other guy, too," Shikamaru reminded. "You wouldn't be the only one involved, you know. But you're actually going to consent to more meetings with men?"

"No! Of course not!" Neji snapped. "Hiashi already promised that if this meeting ended poorly, I wouldn't be required to meet with any more men."

"I see. How generous of him," Shikamaru remarked. _So if seeing any other men is out of the question, why has he been analyzing the possibility if he wasn't thinking of me? I'm thinking somebody's a liiiittle too defensive here._ Still, due to the fact that he'd be going home with Neji, he opted not to voice his thoughts aloud. Sparking the other man's temper was the _last_ thing he had in mind.

"'Generous'?_ Generous_ would be not even making this suggestion in the first place," Neji muttered.

Shikamaru snickered. It hadn't been his intention to let his amusement show, but really-- Neji was just being too damn tense about things.

Neji glared at him. "What's so funny?" he asked in a challenging tone.

Shikamaru considered not answering-- it was probably the safer route-- but it was also likely to just add fuel to the fire and _really_ get that temper going. So he shrugged instead. "I think you're making too big a deal out of it."

"You_ don't_ think it's a big deal?"

"No, I don't. Look, Neji-- you know and I know that there's no point in our parents trying to force us into anything, so why bother getting so pissed off about it? Just pretend our families got together for any old luncheon, and let it go. Don't be so formal. Trust me, you'll feel better about things."

_Don't be formal? How can I just __pretend__ that the situation isn't what it is? I can't delude myself like that. Besides, I can't even imagine my uncle's reaction if I were to act any differently than I always do around him._ Neji frowned at the fountain again without really seeing it.

Shikamaru sighed. His arm twitched, wanting to reach for his cigarettes in the still somewhat confrontational silence, but he'd been cutting back over the months and hadn't even thought to carry a pack this time.

"Don't even think about it," Neji warned, picking up on the other ninja's compulsion out of the corner of his eye even as his mind had been on another planet.

"You know me so well," Shikamaru drawled. "But relax, I didn't bring any."

"I'm impressed."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, actually, I am. I hadn't really expected you to stick to quitting," Neji admitted.

"Hmm... probably helped that the last time I smoked after dinner, you made _such_ a racket the next morning-- at _five_ A.M. That's just sadistic, you do realize?"

Neji gave him a smug look. "I realize. But it was your third cigarette in as many hours."

Laughing despite himself, Shikamaru nudged his side. "So you were just cruelly looking out for my best interest? Thanks. What a pain in the ass..."

Neji nudged back. "Well, what do you call forcing me to stay in bed even when I'm wide awake?"

Nudge. "Hey, you don't suffer withdrawal from resting a few more hours. Besides, you _like_ sleeping now."

Nudge. "Yes, but sleeping in is a _horrible_ habit to get into."

Nudge. "I can get up when I need to, and so can you. As evidenced by how ridiculously alert you stayed that entire last mission."

Sharper nudge. "I had to make up for _somebody_ sleeping on the job."

... Poke.

Neji jumped, grabbing his side and staring at Shikamaru in surprise. "What the hell was _that_ for?"

Shikamaru grinned. "To see how you'd react. My, my-- you're ticklish?"

Neji narrowed his eyes. "Don't even-- _Shikamaru!_" he yelped as he scrambled away on the grass and hurried to his feet. Shikamaru immediately followed after, grabbing his arm with one hand and poking at Neji's neck with the other. The responding angry laughter was just too good, and he did it again, and again, as Neji attempted swatting him away.

This was quickly becoming his favourite variation of the Drive-Neji-Nuts game. Whenever he found something that annoyed the older man, he'd push it to the limits to see just how far he could go before Neji tried to punch him or kick him or otherwise do more seriously bodily harm. Only once had he actually pushed far enough that Neji'd fiercely attacked back, knocking him out for the next two hours.

He never did try force-feeding again. But really, Neji hadn't slept or eaten in over twenty-four hours, yet he insisted on staying up to do_ paperwork_? The guy was mental.

He seemed to be drawing dangerously close to that brink, however, as Neji's uncontrollable laughter began to turn into more snarling than protesting or threatening. He let go as Neji stepped back-- then cursed and reached out as Neji slipped on a wet stone at the edge of the pond-- and--

_Ker-SPLASH!_

Shikamaru covered his mouth with one hand, caught between horror, hysterical laughter, and concern for his own well-being against the Hyuuga's impending wrath. Neji looked just as stunned as he sat with koi swimming rapidly around him in confusion, water only a few inches above his hips but the splash having more or less drenched the rest of him.

Neji's expression darkened as he made a move to stand up, then slipped and fell again. Curse the algae at the bottom of the pond! Didn't these people _clean_ the damn thing! At least keep some-- some-- some _shrimp_, or catfish, or something! Import in a few plecostomi!

This time, Shikamaru _did_ start laughing.

Neji scowled at him. "Shut up and help me get the fuck out," he growled, holding out a hand.

"Sorry, sorry," Shikamaru managed between chuckles as he moved to take it and pull Neji up. Instead of pulling Neji _up_, however, he suddenly flailed as the other man pulled him _down_.

_Ker-SPLASH!_

Like Neji had been, Shikamaru sat stunned for a few minutes. Fortunately for him, Neji had broken half of his fall-- much to his chagrin-- but unfortunately, Neji then shoved him fully into the water. "Still laughing?"

"..." Shikamaru sat up, grimacing at the feel of the algae against his palms. He looked down at his disgustingly drenched _kimono_, the _nagajugan_ clinging uncomfortably to his skin, his _hakama_ most likely ruined from scratches at the fall.

Then he looked over at Neji, whose own paler attire clung to him just as badly. Reaching over, he plucked a piece of plant matter from the long, brown hair and held it up between them, staring at it quizically.

He glanced back at Neji.

Neji caught his gaze.

And they both burst out laughing. It was _ridiculous_! They were two advanced, well-respected, jounin-level ninjas, both known for being dead serious almost constantly, both hailing from respectable families, both able to kill in a heartbeat-- and they were now sitting in a decorative fish pond in a dainty teahouse up the mountains, practically in the middle of nowhere. At the tail end of winter. _Damn_, was it cold!

Even when one of the hostesses came to offer her help-- and then another-- and then Shikamaru's parents, and then Hiashi, and then other customers-- they sat helplessly caught in carefree peals of laughter.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they exited the washrooms and returned to their parents in borrowed _kimono_. Shikaku seemed to find the situation about as amusingly ludicrous as they had, but Yoshino and Hiashi were completely mortified.

Hiashi glared as Neji entered. "Care to explain yourself?"

Bolting up at their entrance, Yoshino bustled over. She observed that an embarrassed flush looked good on the boy-- as did his hair being tied up in a bun to keep the water off his back. She cast her son a scathing look, intuitively seeming to know that he was responsible for the mess, even as she pulled off her _haori_ to drape it around Neji's shoulders. "Oh, you poor dear, you must be _freezing_! Are you all right?"

Not used to being fussed over, Neji stared at her, temporarily forgetting his uncle sitting less than two yards away. "I'm fine," he assured as he tried to shrug the _haori_ off. "Really-- I had a warm shower, I'm fine."

Yoshino stubbornly held the _haori_ on. "It's nearly February, you can't be fine! I do hope you don't catch a cold-- what a shame that would be. And your handsome robes-- I'm _so_ sorry for whatever my worthless son did that caused this!"

Neji blinked as Shikamaru sighed, swatting his mother away and handing her the _haori_ back. "Mom, he's not going to break," he drawled. "They gave us hot showers; we're probably warmer than _you_ are.

"Hush, you! You're going to be in _so_ much trouble when we get home!" Yoshino warned as Shikamaru sidestepped her, pulling Neji with him.

"Yoshino, honey, relax," Shikaku called drily. "They're both obviously okay now, and they're competent, independent, grown men. You don't have to treat them like children."

"She's only treating _Neji_ like a child," Shikamaru corrected as they sat back down, Yoshino trailing after. "She's mad at me."

"You deserve it," Neji muttered at him.

"You already got back at me," Shikamaru reminded.

"Insufficient. You're forgetting _before_ we tripped."

"_You_ tripped. I was _dragged_ down."

"It was stupid of you to trust me."

"Hey, I was trying to help you _up_."

"Boys," Hiashi interrupted coldly. "Would somebody explain what happened? You _do_ realized you disrupted many of the other patrons, and completely humiliated your clans?"

"I'm sure nobody even recognized them," Shikaku unsuccessfully reassured. "That was part of the reason we came somewhere so remote, right? To keep rumours from spreading around Konoha?"

"That does not excuse their behaviour," Hiashi snapped.

"My apologies, sir," Neji replied quietly. When Shikamaru was silent, he nudged him sharply.

"... Sorry for embarrassing you," Shikamaru added, but he was now biting back a smirk. After all, really, _nudging_ was how this whole mess began.

"It's not only for my benefit-- it's an embarrassment to you as well," Hiashi all but snapped. He sighed, forcefully relieving some of the tension from his shoulders. "Shikamaru-san, I'm obviously not averse to your friendship with my nephew, or we wouldn't be here right now. I think you've done a wonderful thing for him, offering him your friendship and giving him a place to relax and call home. But there is a time and place for behaving as you did, and _this_ is neither the time _nor_ place."

"Yeah, I understand that," Shikamaru sighed, humour gone. "But it's not as if we _meant_ to cause a scene. We just couldn't stop laughing."

"In a pond."

"In a pond."

"In front of all of those guests."

"In front of all of those guests."

"And the owner of the teahouse."

"And the owner of the teahouse."

"You're completely unruffled by this entire incident, aren't you?"

This time, Shikamaru did smirk. "Pretty much, yeah. No lasting harm, right? Besides, it's not like I normally act like that, either. Things just got carried away, and I don't think that's bad once in a while." He raised an eyebrow. "Tactically, it's beneficial to our healths to let go once in a while, considering even at home Neji usually acts pretty stuffy."

"Shikamaru..." Neji growled.

"What? You _do_. You've gotten better, but _christ_."

Hiashi sighed. "I'm beginning to think this meeting has been eventful enough. Why don't we draw it to a close? I'd still like you two to consider the possibility, but if necessary, we can always arrange a second meeting at a later date."

_Why the hell would we need a second meeting? We're already usually together,_ Neji wondered, Shikamaru's thoughts echoing his own.

"I second that notion," Shikaku agreed. Hiashi began getting to his feet, and everybody else followed.

"I'm so very, _very_ sorry for all of the trouble Shikamaru has caused you," Yoshino apologized regretfully, bowing low to the clan head.

Hiashi shook his head. "It's all right. Hinata was not his problem, and Neji was creating as much of a racket as your son was."

"Still, if it hadn't been for Shikamaru..."

_If it hadn't been for Shikamaru, Neji would still be miserable,_ Hiashi mused, although he kept the thoughts to himself. After all, he wasn't pleased with the younger man at the moment, but he could still grudgingly acknowledge what good he had done. "Please, don't concern yourself. Until next time, then."

"Until next time," Shikaku and Yoshino echoed as they bowed. Hiashi gave Neji a pointed look, and they both bowed back before stepping out the door.

Neji glanced back in time to see Yoshino scowl at her son once more before stooping down to pick up her _haori_ from the floor. Shikamaru caught his eye and made a throat-slitting motion before gesturing at his mother. Shikaku promptly smacked the back of his head, and he winced.

Smiling, Neji faced forward again and followed his uncle out.

* * *

**A/N:**  
- _ikebana_: This word's become much more well-known in English lately, but just in case, it's the art of flower arrangement.  
- _tokonoma_: A raised alcove in a traditional Japanese-style room that will often contain a simple piece of ikebana and a hanging scroll, called a_kakemono_ or _kakejiku_.  
- _tatejiku_: A kakemono that's taller than it is wide.  
- _shouji_: The washi-paper doors/portable walls in traditional-style Japanese rooms.  
- _Osoku natte doumo sumimasen. Moushiwake gozaimasen._ Another pair of traditional set phrases in humble speech. The first part is "I'm_very_ sorry for it becoming late," while the second part is literally, "There is no excuse" but used as a very humble way of apologizing, even if you do have an excuse. n.n; Basically saying, "I know making excuses won't do any good, it is still inexcusable." I could probably have just put this into English and B.S.ed some level of formal register to make it work, but the "There is no excuse" always amuses me, since generally, there _is_ some sort of excuse. Ahaha. Humility.  
- _kaiseki_: The traditional food served during tea ceremonies, which comes out in several tiny dishes and is very much about looking beautiful.  
-_shamisen_: A three-stringed traditional Japanese instrumental.  
When I was writing "Neji shot (him an irritated look)," I typoed and wrote "Nejis hot." XD Ah, parapraxis.

**REVIEWS:**

**YUE-KonahasWhiteFang:** n.n Don't die. Thanks for reading!  
**Kagome Raya:** n.n! I'm glad their conversations were able to amuse you. :Þ And I hope this o-miai was to your satisfaction!  
**rowanashke:** Sorry for being depressing last time... XD Actually, no, not really. But I am glad this one made you happier. n.n Thanks for reading!  
**anabel sinclair:** :D Thank you. That's exactly why I love dialogue-- (mostly) uinterrupted flow of language, responses volleying off each other in a more fluid dialogue. Thanks for reading!  
**shii:** Awww! I love you, too. n.n Thanks for reading!  
**Wing It:** I'm glad you liked _M'lady_. XD Feel better soooooon! Nosy parents are only good in fiction. -sigh- ... Yeah, most things I'd have to say, I said in e-mail. So I'll shut up here. n.n Thanks for reading!  
**they are ghouls:** Hee. :D It's true, though, isn't it? Laziness doesn't _have_ to be correlated with exhaustion. n.n Yoshi! Ganbaru! Thanks for reading!  
**xXxjustbecausexXx:** You're welcome! I try to avoid making author notes long, but I always want to say more. -.- I think because I feel I don't portray enough in-story, I want to clarify afterwards. :P Ramble away! n.n Thanks for reading!  
**AttentionDeficitDisorder:** Thank you. :D  
**dodo:** Thank you! n.n  
**Love Psycho:** Hee. Let me know what you think of peppermint cocoa. -munches donuts-  
**Aarien-sama:** :) Thanks? XD  
**BrevityofWit:** And I totally glomp your total glomp back. This could get redundant... heh. n.n I can totally picture Shikaku being just like Shikamaru when he was a kid (-- omg, how cute would that be to write!). :D Thanks for reading!  
**kelseypaige:** I'm not sure how quickly I update, either. XD Whenever I have time. n.n Thank you!  
**JaeFire:** n.n Thank you! I will definitely keep writing. -nodnod- Although more may have to wait until after final exams are over... eheheh.  
**schnischna:** n.n; Thank you.  
**serenity:** Was that soon enough:) I'll definitely finish it, the question is just _when_. I probably won't put up another chapter until the very end of this week, if even then, because I have final exams.  
**Duchess of the Orient:** I LOVE that you commented on every chapter and its individual contents! (Chapter 6) I make the hearts in HTML with n.n. (Chapter 7) ... XD The control is no problem, really, as I don't like rushing romance. I LOVE pacing, drawing things out, developing a foundation. n.n (Chapter 8) 'No more' because dead week came up and I had papers to write, presentations to prepare for, tests to do. :P But I'm very glad you liked it! n.n  
**GIGA:** :) I'm glad to have held your attention through eight chapters in a sitting. n.n Hope you enjoyed the new chapter!  
**-sunshine-:** XD I have moved my sweet on a chair and hit da keyboard. Satisfactory:P  
**Lady Mortis:** I LOVE you for reviewing every chapter. ToT (Chapter 1) Shikamaru's laziness in this chapter is more about boredom with the entire affair than indolence. n.n But I don't know-- he can be active and firm when he needs to be, but he also does still prefer finding ways to not have to do anything. XD (Chapter 6) I'm glad you liked Yoshino. n.n  
**angie:** Thank you. :) No, it definitely wasn't the end, it's just a work-in-progress around school and work. n.n I'm expecting it to be about thirteen chapters or so.  
**Helios:** Soon enough:P Thanks for reading. n.n  
**StarkBlack:** I... don't think I've ever gotten a review where someone commented that they hadn't read it but were planning to. XD That's kind of cute. n.n I hope you enjoy it when you read it! Out of curiosity, who was your friend...? Please extend a thank you to them for recommending the fic out! ToT  
**dumpster:** Thank youuuu.  
**essenceofthedark:** ... _Seeing_ Neji's face? XD In a written rather than drawn work? Heh. That might actually be a fun chibi to draw. Dahahaha.


	10. Chapter 10

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 10  
**A/N:**  
I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to put out. T.T; It was just incredibly difficult to concentrate on. I blame the entire first scene. Writing large groups is not my thing. -sigh-  
On the flipside, there are two illustrations. One is linked at the end of the chapter for once you get through it. n.n It's one of the last scenes, though, so no skipping ahead!  
The other is here: http**(colon slash slash)**shikaneji**(dot)**deviantart**(dot)**com**(slash)**art**(slash)**Hinata-Uchikake-81217360

* * *

The first of March hailed the gentle warmth of an early spring, perfect for an outdoor celebration. This was, in fact, exactly what was going on in Konoha on that sunny afternoon. Hiashi couldn't have timed things better if he'd tried.

The doors to the Hyuugas' ceremonial hall, lavishly decorated in lavenders and white carnations, satin and silk, ribbons and lace, had been left open to the crowd milling in and out of the complex. Outside, tables and chairs had been set up both in the light and in the shade for conversation and chat, while longer tables inside boasted more elegant arrangements. And the occasion?

The formal engagement between Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata.

The stage at the far end of the hall was set up for the star couple to dine on display, but for the time being, they'd sought refuge amongst the company of their friends. At the table sat Shino and Kiba (whose one-way romance certainly hadn't progressed), Sakura and Ino (who were bickering amiably, as always), and of course, Shikamaru and Neji (nobody quite understood what was up with them). Lee, Tenten and Chouji were away on missions, but as none were especially close to Naruto or the Hyuugas, their absence wasn't a particularly noticable loss.

With another quarter hour before the ceremony was due to begin, the young adults listened attentively as Naruto recounted the events leading up to the engagement.

"Actually, Hiashi-sama was kind of the one who proposed," Naruto admitted, grinning sheepishly at the confused looks around him. For the umpteenth time that night, he adjusted his stiff, deep scarlet kimono with a grimace, tugging at the collar before Hinata lightly swatted his hands away to fix the _nagajugan_.

Settling back down, she smiled shyly and toyed with the edge of her own sleeve. "Father became... um... impatient, I think."

"So I was having dinner there, right? And we're in the middle of eating and chatting, and then just out of _nowhere_, he was like..." Naruto sat up straight and put on a gruff, stern voice. "'Just what _are_ your intentions with my daughter? Are you serious about her?'"

"Naruto-kun was so startled, he... he dropped his chopsticks," Hinata added with a small giggle. Naruto grinned at her, immediately eliciting her familiar flush. Despite that they'd been getting closer for the last six months or so, and had been dating for over a month, that grin never failed to make her knees quiver-- especially when directed _at_ her.

"So, _so_ true," Naruto confirmed. "So of course, I was like, 'Yeah, I'm serious about her.' And then he asked if I planned to eventually marry her, and it was really kinda awkward, y'know? I mean, she was sitting _right there_. And I hadn't really thought about marriage-- I mean, I had, but nothing... _immediate_, right? We hadn't been dating long, so I wasn't planning anything like that yet."

"He took so long to reply, I th- well, I thought father was going to throw him out..."

"I snap out of it and I'm like, 'Well, I'd _love_ to, but I don't know if Hinata--'" Naruto paused, smirking at his fiance. Hinata's blush deepened, and she hid her face behind his arm. "Then Hinata just cuts me off and blurts out, '_Yes!_' before realizing what she'd done. She looked like she wanted to crawl under the table and die, especially when Hanabi started _laughing_ at her. I think that kinda broke the tension. So anyway, before I knew it, we were engaged. And we finished dinner, and things seemed really normal, right? I get home, get ready for bed, then it just suddenly hits me-- 'holy _shit_, I'm getting _married_'! So I ran back to make sure I hadn't just been dreaming or something, and Hiashi-sama was pissed at me for coming back so late, almost cancelled the engagement."

"Only you, Naruto," Sakura sighed.

"Hey, whaddaya mean, 'only me'?!" Naruto demanded, but despite the confrontational tone, his expression was light and playful. "I'd like to see how _you_ react if you found yourself with a fianc before you even realized it!"

"Technically, you're still not engaged yet," Kiba pointed out. "I mean, that's what this party's for, right? When your formal engagement gets announced to everyone?"

Naruto waved him off. "Formal, shmormal. As far as I'm concerned, we got engaged that dinner. Right, Hina-chan?" He peered over his shoulder to grin at his blushing bride-to-be. Hinata blinked her large, wide eyes at him, then offered a slow, soft smile before nodding. A part of Naruto seemed to visibly melt at her serene expression.

"Awww! You two are _so_ cute!" Ino gushed.

Shifting his arm, Naruto slipped it around Hinata's slim shoulders to pull her back into the open. She was still a bit pink, but the expression of pure, glistening happiness belied any concern that she was less than completely content with her life at that moment.

"Yeahhh, so. Things've been interesting." Naruto suddenly turned to Shikamaru and Neji. "Oh, right-- and we wanted to thank you guys."

Startled at the apparent change of topic, the two glanced at each other, then simultaneously looked back. "What are you talking about, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked mildly.

"Well," Naruto began, "you turned down the engagement to Hinata, right? And then you let me know that Hiashi was looking for someone. Got my ass in gear to at least talk to her more."

Hinata cleared her throat. "And that-- that day, when you both sent us off. We had ramen, and..."

"When... Oh, _hell_ no. Shikamaru sent you off, not me," Neji corrected, clearly offended at the idea that he had played any role in their matchmaking. The others tried not to stare at him. They'd seen the gradual change in the young man over the last half year as he seemed to become noticably more casual and approachable, but it was still difficult to believe at times. However, they were always reassured that despite his apparent softening, Neji was still Neji-- as evidenced by his temper snapping every time Lee would joyously hug him and exclaim how delightful it was that his dear, solitary companion had finally come out of his shell to partake in the celebration of their vibrant days of youth-- or some other overly complicated and melodramatic synonym for "chilling out."

"Come to think of it, where were you in all this?" Kiba abruptly asked him. "I mean, it's your uncle's place and all..."

Neji responded with a flat look. "Where do you _think_ I was?"

"Shikamaru's? You're over an awful lot these days," Ino remarked. "It's like you live there now or something."

"He basically does," Shikamaru agreed. "Your point?"

"Well... it's _weird_!" Ino explained bluntly. "I mean, his family's got loads of money, but instead of living in the lap of luxury, he stays with you? You're not... you know..."

"What?"

"You know!"

Shikamaru sighed. "I'm not psychic, Ino."

Sakura stepped in then, much less wary of accidentally offending the two jounin. "Are you guys dating?"

Neji let out an exasperated breath as Shikamaru rubbed his temple. "Not you, too," Neji muttered. "No, we're _not_ dating."

"Wait, hold up-- what's this? 'Too'? Who else thinks you're dating?" Kiba asked, eyes widening. He frowned when the two men completely ignored him.

"Is it about the...?" Hinata glanced cautiously at her cousin, who grimaced and nodded. The others instantly pounced on this display.

"What's this? What's going on?"

"About the what?"

"Hina-chan! You knew something was up, and didn't tell me?"

"Thanks, Hinata-sama."

"I'm sorry, Neji-niichan!"

"Shikamaru! What are they talking about?"

"What a pain."

"Shikamaaaruuu!" Ino grabbed her former teammate's sleeve and began tugging at it. "What's going on?"

Shikamaru glanced at Neji, who gave an annoyed grumble before shaking his head, making a 'just don't bring me into it' gesture. Snorting, the shadow nin pulled his sleeve from Ino's grasp when she tugged again. "Okay, I'll tell you-- just stop pulling or you'll tear this thing, and you know how mom would react."

"Don't change the subject!" Sakura demanded.

Shooting her a long-suffering look, Shikamaru let out an irritated breath. "Our parents-- well, my parents and his uncle-- tried to set us up, all right? It was just once, a month ago," he added hastily when several jaws dropped and several more pairs of eyes widened in shock. "They've left us alone since."

"They-- _what_?! I'd have thought-- I mean, I don't really know your families, but Hiashi-sama, at least--" Sakura stammered.

"F-- father was just trying to... to..." Hinata started to defend.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me, Shikamaru!" Ino complained.

"Wow. What the hell? They're just going to up and assume either of you'd be interested in a guy like that?" Naruto laughed. "I'd picture _Kiba_ to be gayer than you."

"_Hey!_" Kiba protested as he bolted up sharply, although to the amusement of those who noticed, he appeared to be blushing a bit. "What do you mean by that?!"

Naruto blinked. "Nothing, just that they're not likely to wanna be gay."

"And I am?!"

"I didn't say you were!"

"You implied it!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Yeah, you damn well..." Kiba's voice trailed off when he felt a hand on his shoulder, challenging expression fading to a frozen surprise.

"He didn't mean to offend you, Kiba. Let it go," Shino instructed his friend in his usual matter-of-fact tone, which would have seemed patronizing had he used it on anyone but Kiba. With the canine-lover, however, it simply came off as patient and familiar.

Kiba sat back down.

Shikamaru shot Neji a glance. _Told you so._

Neji rolled his eyes. _Shut up._

Shikamaru smirked. _Didn't say a word._

"Naruto! Hinata!" Hiashi called.

Naruto grimaced. "Great. Time to enter the spotlight."

"Don't you _like_ the spotlight?" Sakura reminded pointedly.

Pulling a face, Naruto grinned as he and his fiance stood. "Not when it means sitting still for the next two hours! I mean, would _you_ like to be stuck sitting and posing pretty forever? Oh, wait, you're an attention whore, of course you--"

"_Naruto, you little--!_"

"N... Naruto-kun, they're waiting," Hinata reminded hurriedly before Naruto could provoke the volatile kunoichi any further.

With few more delays, the young couple finally managed to break away about five minutes later and take their places on the stage. As soon as they were gone, Ino reached over to give Shikamaru's cheek a sharp pinch. "You should have told me, you brat!"

Wincing, Shikamaru knocked her hand away. "Why would I?" he sighed. "You would have thrown things completely out of proportion, then gone gossiping around town."

"No, I wouldn't have!"

"Yeah, you would," Shikamaru and Sakura chorused.

"Oh, aren't _you_ just a hypocrite?" Ino shot back at her cherry-haired friend, instantly initiating a bickering match. Shikamaru cast Neji a _See what I have to deal with?_ look.

"What do you mean by that?!"

"What do you think I mean?! You have _such_ a big mouth--!"

"Not as big as yours!"

"Shut the hell up already, will ya? The announcements are about to begin, you're gonna piss off Hinata's family," Kiba growled. "Save your spat for later."

"_Stay out of it!_"

"Hey, _I_ don't wanna get thrown out 'cause of you two!"

"Oh, for crying out loud--" Getting up, Neji grabbed Shikamaru's arm and moved away from the table, pulling the younger man with him. Ino and Sakura temporarily stopped fighting to stare after them in surprise, but Shikamaru simply smirked.

"Fed up?"

"The moment they opened their mouths," Neji agreed, letting go and correctly assuming Shikamaru would follow close behind.

"All right, then," Shikamaru chuckled. "Your family or mine?"

Glancing over at the Hyuuga section, with his aunts and uncles fawning over Hanabi and too many eligible cousins eyeing him predatorily from across the room, Neji edged away. "Yours," he decided firmly as they headed over to where Shikaku and Yoshino sat. As always, they were given a warm reception as the older woman began fussing over Neji, leaving husband and son to snicker at the trap Neji had let himself walk into-- a trap named Yoshino.

_Still better than the alternative,_ Neji sighed to himself. Besides, although he wouldn't admit it on pain of death, he kind of liked being fussed over by her-- it only seemed to emphasize her motherly qualities, even if it confounded him how readily he'd been received.

It was almost like having a complete family again.

* * *

Gawking after them, Sakura, Ino, Kiba, and even Shino exchanged uncertain glances. "Is it just me, or was that kind of weird?" Kiba finally piped up after a few moments of thoughtful silence.

"That was weird," Sakura nodded. "I didn't think Neji was the touchy-feely sort."

"Me, neither," Ino agreed. "The weird part to me was that Shikamaru just... _went_ with him, without any grumbling. If anyone else'd tried that, he would have bitched about having to get up and move."

"I don't care what they say, there's _totally_ something going on between them," Kiba determined.

Ino grinned. "Well, I guess it'd take one gay guy to know ano-- ow!" Rubbing her shin, where Kiba had kicked, she scowled and gave his chair a hard shove, sending him toppling into Shino.

Shino helped his madly blushing friend up without a word. Hiashi finally looked over at the table with a stern glare, and the three fell silent.

* * *

Four hours later, Neji tiredly dropped down onto the couch at home, unaccustomed to interacting with such a large group of people for such an extended period of time. Even though it was barely past five PM, Hinata had been practically falling asleep on her feet by the end of the ceremony, and even Naruto had been exhausted by the formalities into near-silence. Being so closely related to the woman of the hour, Neji had been required to stay until the very last of the guests had left-- and of course, he'd made the Nara suffer with him.

"The idea of an engagement ceremony just makes me want to avoid marriage even more," Neji yawned, folding up the _haori_ he'd left on the couch when he'd gone into the room to dress down. Half a year ago, he would have been mortified at his present "slovenly" state: then, the routine would have been to neatly hang the fancy coat and the rest of his robes prior to changing into the most lounge-appropriate clothing he owned, which undoubtedly wouldn't have been very lounge-appropriate. Now, however, he was content in a maroon tanktop and light brown capris, _haori_ abandoned to be taken care of later. "Can't understand why clans insist on something such a complete waste of time..."

Swinging by the kitchen to guzzle some water on his way out of the bedroom, Shikamaru brought a glass over to Neji as he settled beside him, receiving a nod of thanks as the brunette accepted the drink. "Maybe it doesn't feel so long if you're the one up there," he suggested wearily. "It seemed like Naruto and Hinata hardly had a moment to themselves when they weren't being bombarded with questions and congratulations from most of Konoha."

"Then it would just be obnoxious," Neji pointed out. He smirked. "Or... 'troublesome'?"

Despite how drained he felt, Shikamaru laughed quietly. "Hey, find your own catchphrase," he commanded in a lazy drawl.

"But yours works so _well_." Neji took a sip of water, then shook his head. "I can't understand your classmates... they have too much energy."

"Lee could run rings around any of my friends," Shikamaru reminded.

"Lee's a single case," Neji argued back. "_Most_ of your peers seem too..."

"Hyper? Annoying? Six years old?"

"Lively," Neji decided euphemistically, tucking his legs up on the couch beneath him as he shifted against the cushions. He leaned against the armrest, closing his eyes to rest them for a moment. "Especially the girls..."

"Yeah, they're a handful," Shikamaru agreed, smiling in amusement at how quickly the other man began drifting off. Standing again, he took the glass of water from Neji's hand before he could drop it, setting it on the coffeetable.

Starting at the action, Neji blinked up at him with a frown. "'Wasn't going to spill," he defended.

"Mmhmm," Shikamaru hummed placatingly, "but just in case you accidentally fall asleep."

"Not falling asleep," Neji countered stubbornly even as his eyes drifted shut again. "Just... resting."

"And it's easier to rest without holding something, that's all," Shikamaru reassured as the straightened. He remained still for a moment, watching as Neji slipped into a deep sleep, before heading into their platonically shared bedroom. Opening the closet, he opened one of the boxes he had in there and withdrew some paper about 11"x18", carefully pinned to some solid backing. Reaching into the same box, he removed a flat tin and carried everything out to the living room, sitting himself down carefully so as not to wake his friend. Opening the tin, he removed a brown coloured pencil, glanced at Neji, looked back at the incomplete drawing, then put the pencil to the paper. He began to sketch, working in quick, short strokes.

* * *

An hour later, Shikamaru closed the tin and set the drawing against the back of the couch, facing away from prying eyes. Rising, he moved to the kitchen to fix himself some tea.

Stirring at the motion, Neji frowned in his half-asleep state at the stiffness in his neck. Dragging one arm up, he rubbed at the sore muscles that protested the angle he'd been lying in. With a yawn, he briefly curled up more tightly before relaxing, letting himself gradually come to terms with where he was and what he last remembered happening.

"Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty," Shikamaru called from the kitchen in a light tease.

"How long've I been asleep...?" Neji mumbled in a disgruntled tone, annoyed at himself for dozing off so early in the evening.

"Just an hour." Pouring the hot water into a mug, Shikamaru left it on the counter to soak with a teabag as he walked back over to the couch, leaning over it. "If you're not hungry, just wash up and go to bed."

"Can't," Neji groaned. "I'd wake up too early, or stay in bed and get too much sleep."

Shikamaru smirked. "There's no such thing as too much sleep," he opined.

"Of course _you'd_ think that," Neji sighed, sitting upright. Finally catching sight of the sketchboard beside him, he blinked. "Is this that sketch you've been working on...?" he asked tentatively, wondering what sort of drawing actually made Shikamaru put so much time and effort into it.

"Mmhmm." At the curious gaze, Shikamaru shrugged. "Yeah, sure. It's about as done as I'm going to get it, and I was planning on giving it to you anyhow." Ignoring Neji's questioning peer, he went back to the kitchen to get his tea.

"..." Reaching out, Neji picked up the sketch and pulled it onto his lap before turning it over to see. When he did, his eyes widened.

The first thing that caught his attention was that the entire sketch was in colour. Neji couldn't recall seeing anything his roommate had done in something other than generic graphite, but looking over it, there didn't seem to be a stitch of black used.

There were three figures in the sketch, all connected through dancing strands of hair and a waterfall of chrysanthemums of different sizes and colours. The lower-most figure facing right was Neji as he had been several years ago, still a bitter, asocial chuunin radiating warning signals. In the middle of the page was a Neji who, facing left, stood tall and proud, confident and determined, but without the angry tension of the first-- the Neji that others had watched develop in recent months.

Lying across the top was another Neji, this one very much from the present. He wore a tanktop like he had on now, and there was a blanket thrown over his lower body as he slept curled into a pillow. His expression was peaceful and content, and his body lay languid and relaxed. Unlike in the other two pictures, his hair was loose here, and it was these strands that coiled down the right side of the page with the mums to connect the three. The curse seal was covered in the bottom two pictures by his forehead protector, but in the uppermost one, it was visible-- present yet subtle, a gentle marking across his skin. All in all, a very comfortable, and almost vulnerable, portrayal of him.

A side that only Shikamaru had ever seen.

Neji stared, mixed feelings stirring in confusion as he traced over the flowers with his fingertips. His eyes moved slowly across the smooth lines, following soft peach into chestnut brown into gentle spreads of reds, blues, golds and violets. He examined the differences in expression and tension, and wondered if the reality really was such a blatant contrast.

And the flowers--

In the corner of the room, the blue spider mum that Yoshino had first brought over four months ago still thrived. Out on the balcony were several more potted chrysanthemums, growing from a few of the choice cuttings that Neji had brought home only a few months before. Although they looked out of place in the otherwise unornamented apartment, there was something comforting about them nonetheless.

As Shikamaru returned, setting his tea down on the coffee table, Neji glanced at him before quickly turning his eyes away. He wasn't sure why he suddenly felt so awkward and embarrassed-- that the Nara had observed such fine details about him? That he'd found the maturation worthy of preserving on paper? Aside from school records, Neji wasn't even sure that any pictures of him existed. He certainly hadn't been privy to participating in the Hyuuga family portraits, limited as they were to the main house, and generally avoided social functions where photography played a prominent role.

Not for the first time, he wondered how or why Shikamaru had let him slip so easily into his life. They hardly even knew each other at first, but now, Neji couldn't think of anybody he felt closer to than the younger man. When had that sort of transition even occurred? "I'm... I've never been given anything like this before. I'm not sure what to say..."

"Then don't say anything," Shikamaru shrugged. "It wasn't made for commentary."

Out of the corner of his eye, Neji watched him lift his mug to his lips and take a sip, lounging comfortably in his corner of the couch. He always looked so relaxed with life, indifferent to the mundane drama that seemed to plague those around him-- somebody who existed beyond such triviality. That calm normally served as a soothing presence for Neji, but suddenly, he wanted it gone. He wanted to see Shikamaru respond and react, removed from his self-contained nonchalance. What was going on in his head?

Neji lowered the drawing, laying it on his lap. "... I think I'd like to know now," he said quietly. Shikamaru blinked slowly, turning his head just enough to fix his dark, half-lidded eyes on his friend. "From the teahouse."

"... Ah." Shikamaru put the tea back down, then scratched his neck as he slouched in his seat. "You sure about that? You don't think it'll change our friendship, whatever I say...?"

Giving the sketch a faint smile, Neji shook his head. "No, I'm not sure at all." _And I don't entirely understand it, but that scares me-- wondering how different things might be five minutes from now, or five days, or five years._ "I don't know what would happen, what I'd do. But I think I..." _Want? Need?_ "... should know anyway."

Shikamaru was quiet for a moment, mulling over how to reply. He sighed before sitting upright, one elbow resting against the back of the couch but keeping his eyes averted. He seemed to be having as much trouble facing Neji as Neji had directly facing him. _Well... I wanted him ruffled. I guess this is about as good as I'm going to get,_ the Hyuuga thought warily.

Tilting his head, Shikamaru let out a slow breath. "If you're positive. I'll preface this by saying that I consider you to be my closest friend, and obviously, I'd rather that not change. Still, I'm aware of the potential consequences, so do whatever you think you need to."

Unsure of why he was holding his breath, Neji nodded. _If he's not interested, then I can't help but wonder if I'm just the same as everyone else to him. But if he is... then what?_

Shifting again, Shikamaru opened up the coffeetable drawer and pulled out a cigarette and match. Neji flinched reflexively, but didn't complain-- after all, Shikamaru so rarely smoked now, the occasion must have called for it. But was it that stressful?

The suspense was getting ridiculous, Neji thought as Shikamaru took several leisurely breaths of smoke. Then, in as casual a tone as ever, he answered with a simple, "Yeah."

"..." _Wait, what? That's it?_ Neji frowned at him. "Come again?"

Glancing at him, Shikamaru gave him a slow smile, uncharacteristically open expression affectionately amused at the bewildered indignation on the older man's face. "I said 'yeah'. Without a doubt, I'd be willing to get involved," he clarified.

"Oh." Neji felt his mouth go dry, and the unsettling sense of nervousness spiked sharply. Could they still live together after this? Certainly it wouldn't do to share the bed anymore-- he already tended to be hyper-aware of the other man's presence in any case, but this only made the vigilance that much worse. "Since-- since when...?"

Shikamaru shrugged again. "Not sure. Not something I kept track of."

"Before the teahouse?"

"Mmhmm."

"Before you gave me the key?"

"Pretty sure."

"... Before I started staying over?"

"Well... I don't think so, but that's where it starts to get fuzzy," Shikamaru admitted quietly. "I probably would have rejected the idea on principal-- like I said, I avoided getting close to anybody I'd have to work with, so it wasn't something I really considered. I'm not sure when I realized I was attracted to you, or when I started to be, but I put it out of my mind."

"I see."

They sat in silence for several long minutes, Neji eyeing the sketch without really seeing it anymore, and Shikamaru concentrating on his cigarette. The latter was the one to finally break the thickening silence. "You're not going to run away?"

"Do you want me to?" Neji returned, eyes flicking over to him.

"Of course not," Shikamaru snorted softly, putting the thin, white tube to his lips.

"Then don't suggest it."

"... All right," Shikamaru replied.

He internally debated the pros and cons of asking the obvious-- _What do you think of me?_-- as the other man's discomfort seemed to be a clear enough response. Neji's reaction was basically what he'd expected as the most likely of several outcomes-- uncertainty, trying to rearrange their interpersonal boundaries and figure out what was okay and what wasn't, worrying about what to do in the near future.

These thoughts did weigh heavily in Neji's mind at the moment, but his focus was elsewhere. It wasn't as if Shikamaru was asking him out-- he'd kept his feelings to himself, and only told him on his insistence. But how strong were those feelings? How long could they still cohabit, knowing? Could he just wait it out and think Shikamaru would grow out of it?

And then what if he did? What if he found somebody worth seeing?

Neji furrowed his brow when he felt his hackles rise at the thought. But that was ridiculous-- they were just friends, and it made sense that they'd eventually part ways. They hadn't even really been close for long, after all; these sort of sentiments could easily change. Right?

But what to do until then? It seemed ludicrous to disband a good relationship just because he anticipated an end to their intimacy. Besides, _was_ he anticipating an end?

When he was growing up, his focus had always been on the main house. Somewhere in the back of his mind was the idea that as an adult, he'd have a typical life-- get married, have children. He wasn't sure when he decided he didn't want children, or when the concept of settling down with a wife began to fade. All he knew was that he'd spent the last several years assuming he'd be alone for the rest of his life, devoting himself to his training.

But something about that didn't feel right anymore. Alone? When was the last time he'd really felt alone...? He was comfortable here, and comfortable with Shikamaru. He didn't _want_ to lose that. For all the man's bad habits-- the laziness that extended so far as to leave all doors open just so he wouldn't have to open them later, the stubbornness that rivaled his own when he actually considered something worth arguing over, the smoking-- and for all his unexpected quirks-- the drawing, the cooking, the wisecracks that were so subtle they often went straight over other people's heads-- he liked being here. He liked sharing space, and he specifically liked sharing space with Shikamaru.

And to be honest, the idea of going back to living alone-- or at the Hyuuga compound, but as he generally didn't tend to talk to anybody there it was more or less the same thing-- scared him. His pride cringed at the word, but it was true: having had such a close, constant companionship, he didn't want to have to be alone anymore. He didn't want to return from a mission to an empty room, he didn't want to prepare single breakfasts again, he didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night by himself.

With a start, he realized that he'd spent the last month-- or two, or however many more-- dancing around the most important question. How, exactly, did _he_ feel about _Shikamaru_?

A weary part of him knew that to some extent, the question had been on his mind. Even he knew that it obviously wasn't within the bounds of a typical friendship to instantly feel lighter when the other person walked into the room, or to feel the little shivers he did when held in moments of distress, or to feel almost _lost_ when apart. He was aware of these facts, but had carefully ignored them, not wanting to change the content lives they were already leading. He never let himself dwell on how sometimes, just a smile could dispel all his negativity-- on how sometimes, the familiar teasing made him even more happy than embarrassed-- on how sometimes, he wanted to reach out and touch the other man, for no particular reason except to feel the warmth of his skin.

That last one, he'd always been _especially_ careful to ignore. Particularly when Shikamaru was fresh from a shower.

Acting on an impulse he didn't know he had, Neji reached over and plucked the cigarette from Shikamaru's fingers. The younger man blinked in surprise as Neji put it to his own lips and took in a slow, cautious breath, feeling his jittered nerves and jumbled thoughts slowly settle.

He put out the cigarette in the ashtray as he exhaled, smiling wryly at the other man's questioning look. "Testing myself," he explained, although it didn't really seem to explain anything. _Well... okay, so maybe I am attracted to him. And maybe I've been denying it to myself for a while. That doesn't mean I want things to change. But people change, and relationships change... it doesn't have to be bad. And besides... why is he always the one to test the limits and bring our friendship forward? What the hell have I been doing, just passively letting myself get pulled along?_ A dozen repercussions flew through his head, but he stifled them in favour of acting on another impulse as he leaned in and brushed his lips against Shikamaru's, light and uncertain.

Huh. Even though he'd known there was a possibility that Neji might eventually return his sentiments, Shikamaru certaintly hadn't expected _this_. Still, he wasn't one to let an opportune moment pass him by. After that first frozen second of surprise, he pressed into the kiss, lifting a hand to Neji's lower back-- for balance or support, of course. Not just for an excuse to touch him. It would be a poor idea to push his luck. It was better to let Neji control the kiss, after all-- he was the one who had the greatest reservations. And besides, there was the chance that Neji would snap out of whatever had possessed him to do this, and he'd pull away at any second with apologies and regrets and--

Aw, to hell with it.

A light tug was all the encouragement needed for Neji to slip closer, drawing against him. Despite how many times they had lain coiled together after one or the other awoke from a nightmare, this felt a far cry different-- invigorating rather than soothing, and much more intimate. All traces of their earlier exhaustion were long gone.

After several moments of chaste kisses, hesitance slowly slipping away, Shikamaru traced along Neji's lower lip with his tongue. Fingers resting carefully against his jaw, he drew the lip between his own and suckled at it lightly. Startled, Neji's face did a slow burn when he let out a small whimper before he could stop himself.

Opening his eyes, Shikamaru chuckled quietly at Neji's obvious embarrassment. Neji almost pulled away just for that, but all argument was lost when Shikamaru closed his eyes and kissed him again, this time cautiously parting his lips. He smiled as Neji followed in kind, and wondered how far he could push him just to test the extent of the normally proud man's compliance. However, he quickly dispelled the thought. The point of this was to _not_ make Neji regret it, right? Right.

Why was he even rationalizing like this when he had his unbelievably sexy, adorably intimacy-shy best friend wound in his arms in a delicious kiss?

Come to think of it, when had Neji ended up on his lap? Not that he was complaining, of course. It was funny how things sometimes worked out.

They reluctantly brought the kisses to a gradual pause several minutes later when their lungs protested the quick, shallow breaths they were being given in favour of a proper rush of air. Shikamaru dropped his forehead against Neji's shoulder as he caught his breath, hands having sometime made it beneath Neji's shirt to stroke his thumb against the smooth skin.

When their heads had cleared enough to think again instead of spinning dizzily on an excess of adrenaline and absence of clarity, Shikamaru gave a low laugh. "Well... not exactly how I was expecting the day to end up." Neji smacked his head lightly, but he simply smirked. "Hey, I didn't say that was a bad thing."

"I would hope not," Neji snorted, although he had what he suspected was a ridiculously silly smile on his own face as well. Apparently the temporary oxygen deprivation had done something to his brain, because with his thoughts still somewhat scrambled, and fleetingly coherent at best, he felt kind of like an idiot. Or what he assumed idiots felt like, never having been one himself.

Managing to catch the tail end of one such fleeting thought in their comfortable silence, he tried not to tense up again. "So... now what happens?" he asked quietly.

"'Now'?" Shikamaru echoed. "Does anything have to be different?"

Neji did pull back then, frowning. "Well-- what are we...?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I'd imagine we're still friends, just something a little more with it. I don't want you to act any differently." With his hand still on Neji's back, he drew him close again so that the other man's sinewy arms rested around his shoulders. "... I did think you might walk out, and for a second, it looked like you were going to."

"... The thought occurred to me," Neji replied softly, almost feeling like he should be whispering.

"What changed your mind?"

"I decided I disagreed with it." Neji smiled again, but this time it was more wry and almost self-mocking. "The hiss-claw reaction I had when I thought of you being with anyone else was kind of a giveaway, I think. Mostly, it was just how... peaceful and happy I feel being here, or anywhere when I'm around you. Which sounds horribly sappy, but please ignore that. I couldn't really picture living away from you anymore. Besides... your cooking's better than the Hyuuga chef's."

Grinning at the playful addition, Shikamaru kissed the brunette's slim neck. "I think I like the first few answers better," he murmured. "Even the sappy one. _Especially_ the sappy one. I think I like this new, introspective side of you."

Neji shivered at the breath running across his neck, and it took a few seconds to get his brain back on track with the conversation. "Because you didn't like the old, self-denying side of me before?"

"The old, self-denying side of you wasn't sitting on me, purring in my ear," Shikamaru pointed out.

Neji sat up straight. "I wasn't purring!" he protested.

"Yeah, actually, you were," Shikamaru returned easily, raising an eyebrow. He smirked the way he always did when he was about to say something that he knew would get Neji riled up. "Maybe it goes with your 'hiss-claw reaction'. Really, you're just a loveable kitten at heart."

Twitching, Neji got off him and scooted away on the couch, head turned away defiantly. "Oh, really? I don't think I like that analogy very much," he huffed.

Laughing, Shikamaru slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him close again. "Aw, did I upset my sweet little kitten?" he cooed.

Starting to go red again, Neji swatted at him. "Quit calling me that," he growled. "That's something you should call a girl, like-- like-- Hinata or someone."

"Hmm, you want me to call Hinata 'my sweet little kitten'?" Shikamaru asked, dark eyes glittering. When Neji opened his mouth to complain again, however, he caught his lips in another deep kiss, revelling in the newfound freedom to do so.

_... Persuasive argument,_ Neji thought distractedly. _Whatever that argument was to begin with. Something about a cat._

It took a while to settle down again once they got absorbed in a hearty make-out session, but both of their bodies reminded them that they couldn't survive on kisses for sustenance alone. Breaking apart to laugh at their grumbling stomachs, they fell back into their usual flow of things, discussing what to make for dinner and how Neji wasn't allowed to use the oven after he'd set a loaf of bread on fire the last time he baked. But really, why wouldn't raising the heat just make it bake faster? It made sense to him. Stupid recipes.

A few more kisses were exchanged as they cooked, then as they ate, then after they ate. The kisses were put on hold for each to take a shower, but resumed again afterward.

This time, as they crawled under the covers for bed, they didn't wait for the nightmares to come. They drifted peacefully off to sleep, their arms rested snugly wound around each other.

* * *

**A/N:**  
⋅⋅sigh⋅⋅ I really, _really_ don't like writing big group scenes like that engagement ceremony. Mendoukuseeeeeee...  
Anyway. :D Yaaaaay, first kiss! It feels so early to me... but I guess it IS chapter ten, and they HAVE been getting close for about seven months...  
So, here's the illustration: http**(colon slash slash)**shikaneji**(dot)**deviantart**(dot)**com**(slash)**art**(slash)**ShikaNeji-Chapter-Ten-81218663  
... I just discovered that in Japan, chrysanthemums are a flower that sometimes represent homosexuality. Oh, my.

**REVIEWS:  
****Kagome Raya:** Everyone's siiiiick. T.T;;; Feel better! (Um... by the time this chapter comes out, I'm sure you already do. XD) Hee. And thanks, as always!  
**kelseypaige:** I'm glad I was able to make your week. :3 And that the story's easy to follow along with. n.n You're welcome, and thank you!  
**Pair of Zeppelins:** Algae does feel sooo gross. XD But Tsunade finding their hypothetical marriage certificate, and that being how she finds out, would be FUNNY. Lolz. And thanks for enjoying M'lady. n.n Kiku would be a morbid daughter's name. XD  
**they are ghouls:** :D :D :D I'm glad you really enjoyed the last chapter. :D! (But oh, no! Pressure! One of these chapters, I'm sure I'll let you down. T.T;;; This is a warning. XD)  
**YUE-KonohasWhiteFang:** -blink-blink- Uh, if that sounded offensive or serious, I'm sorry...? It's just the usual response to that sort of hyperbole, it wasn't meant to be literal. n.n; I know you're not literally going to die. x.x; Umm... n.n; But thanks.  
**anabel sinclair:** Hee. XD Thank you! But if they were to animate a yaoi or shounen-ai Naruto, I'd wonder if they'd gone off the deep end. XD It's sooo shounen! (... Okay, there's Haku and Zabuza, and the SasuNaru accidental kiss, but aside from that.) Hee. n.n Thanks!  
**essenceofthedark:** ... Um, I already responded to all this via e-mail. XD So just 'thanks'? n.n  
**Wing It:** -laughs- There's no way I could respond to your whole review here, and that's what e-mail is for anyway, so I'll just leave it with 'thanks'. !  
**BrevityofWit:** The rookie nine relationship analysis was fun, and was actually inspired by a fanart where Ino dissects them and decides that Shikamaru's the only one worthy of obsessing over. XD I can send it to you, if you'd like. n.n Just drop me an e-mail!  
**shi:** Thank you! n.n  
**Helios:** Was that soon enough? If they're even really 'together'... XD But gods, it feels so RUSHED. I guess I can't say "First kiss already?!" considering it's chapter _ten_, but it _feels_ too quick... XD  
**serenity:** Nah, it's okay. n.n A lot of people seem to be having exams right now, so I'm glad to have been able to offer up a lighter fic to combat exam stress. :D  
**Lady Mortis:** You're very welcome! n.n; I worry that I explain too much, though... I'm kind of a footnote-whore.  
**Duchess of the Orient:** It's okay, be as pushy as you want. XD It reminds me that people are in a hurry to read. n.n; But lately, I certainly FEEL like a shikaneji feeding machine! I keep writing and drawing and thinking of them... XD But, um... another ShikaNeji fic? Aside from the two one-shots I have up, I've got another multi-chaptered one planned... n.n; -kisshug back-  
**dewey:** Thanks. n.n; Updated! (Well, duh... XD)  
**rowanashke:** Did they still stay in character in this chapter? Not too sappy? n.n;;; This chappy worries me. XD But thank you!  
**JaeFire:** I LOVE it when people say I made their day or week. -hugs!- And yes, it's been a while. The first time Neji stayed over was mid-August, and this chapter was March 1st.  
**JaeFire again:** Why DID you review twice?? XD Not that I'm complaining-- it amuses and pleases me-- but. XD Let's see... right now, my plans say that chapter 11 will be pretty short compared to recent chapters, but 12 and 13 should be pretty decent lengths. n.n And if I write an epilogue, I have NO clue how long that will be.  
**Luffly Emi:** Hee. XD Soembody else also said that this was their favourite chapter. n.n It sounds really mean to say "I'm glad I made your sides hurt" so I'll just say, "I'm glad I made you laugh," assuming that's why your sides hurt. :D Thanks!  
**Beloved:** I'm glad to have held your attention (and your breath?) for the entire duration of the fic so far. n.n Thanks!  
**boredwithlifeandlove:** Um... sorry, I'm really not into mpreg. n.n; I've only seen two fics where the mpreg actually worked, and in the Naruto one, it wasn't exactly mpreg, since they were in female bodies at the time... XD But no, Neji doesn't want biological kids, so I'll grant him that wish. n.n; Sorry!  
**Love Psycho:** Pomegranate green tea?! I've never even heard of it. XD Nice. Pomegranates make me think of a Korean model/actor named Lee Junki, though. XD And I had oreos at work today, incidentally! n.n Banana latte for you, if you can stomach coffee, and a banana split! (Can you tell what I'm craving? u.u)  
**I'mnervousabouttomorrow:** "Holy ahem"? XD I really like that. And thank you! n.n No need to beg, I'll be updating anyway. XD  
**Oda:** Awww, really? Thank youuu! #n.n#  
**Jibun:** XD I like your username. My friend signs her artwork with the kanji for "watashi." n.n It's cute! Aaaand... thank you. XD  
**drunksick:** n.n; Thank you, and thank you.  
**stray:** Ummm... updated?  
**nee-chan:** Uh... here's a new chapter? n.n;;  
**GIGA:** n.n Thank you! I hope you liked the tenth as much as the first nine, then. :D  
**Snape Goes Commando:** Thank you. n.n Your penname is very amusing. XD  
**sonotgoingthere:** Thank you! n.n Hopefully it's 'because of' instead of 'despite'. :D  
**dodo:** Updated. n.n;  
**Skiefyer:** Thank you! n.n I do try to pace things somewhat more realistically, even if it doesn't always feel that way... like the time jumps here. XD Nine chapters in what, six, seven months?  
**desperaTE:** Ummm... updated? n.n;;;


	11. ch4pt3r 11 l0lz

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** ch4pt3r 11 l0lz

* * *

n neji woek up in tteh middle of the nieght wand was liek lolz shit shika ur a shitty kissre mus be al those dear :) :) :)

And Shikamaru gave him a blank stare, then shook his head. "Must be having a nightmare..."

neji poiutswed and wasw liek wut u don love me no more :(

And Shikamaru scowled and told him to quit speaking in emoticons and typos.

neji begun 2 cry :( :( :( he was HARTBREAKED -

And Shikamaru groaned. "Go back to sleep, Neji. Wake up when April Fool's Day is over."

but neji was mad ats him D: n wooldnt let him sleeeeeeep cmon sihka lol y the coold sholder

And Shikamaru twitched unpleasantly, then glared at the author. "This chapter will be _removed_ later, I trust?"

An omniscient, omnipotent voice assured, "Of course, dear."

n neji was mad at that his TRUTH SELF wuz gunna be d3l3t3d li3k wh04

The real Neji walked in then with a peach smoothie, yawning. When he saw the bambi-eyed, clearly effeminate, long-lashed, rosy-cheeked, cherry-lipped imposter of himself lying in bed, clinging to _his_ Shikamaru, he paused. "..."

Shikamaru gave him a long-suffering look. "Help?"

"Hmm..." Neji set down the smoothie on the nightstand, then left the room as Shikamaru struggled to wriggle free.

The brunette returned a moment later with an Erase Card. He did whatever it is that Sakura does with her Clow Cards, then tore the card in half before crawling into the space the imposter had left. He reached out for his drink just to find that it was empty. "Shikamaru..."

Shikamaru smiled. "Mmhmm?"

Eyeing his boyfriend warily, Neji sighed before reaching over and running a finger over the shadow nin's upper lip. "You had a peach moustache," he chided. Leaning in, he replaced the finger with a light kiss before lying down. "Wake me when it's April 2nd."

"Will do."

"Good-night, Shikamaru."

"Good-night, kitten."

"..."

"I mean, Neji."

"Good."


	12. Chapter 11

**Title:** Chrysanthemum  
**Author:** D.A. Maxwell  
**Chapter:** 11  
**A/N:**  
I know, I know, I know, this took me forever to write. -.-; I've had most of it done for ages, but I got stuck on the third scene from just no motivation, and then I ended up with a persistent writer's block partway through the last. And then after sonot was lovely enough to beta it for me, I edited the first 2/3 and then... got lazy on the last third again and put it off for a month. I'm sorry! ToT  
Rawr. I'm really aggravated with Chrys. XD I'd rather work on two other fics, or draw pictures. Neji feels like cardboard to me. u.u  
Just as a warning: a LOT of this is dialogue so it's really not as long as it looks. xD;  
Thanks SO much to Sonot for helping me organize this chapter! The fic's been extended (another) chapter, and y'all have her to thank for that. :P (Personally, I just want Chrys to be over already... cries I'd much rather be working on Lethe or Sixty Percent!)  
Which reminds me. I should post Sixty Percent...

* * *

Neji groaned as Shikamaru hauled himself out of bed for the third time that day to throw on a robe and go answer the door.

Yoshino had been the first to come over at 7:30 in the morning, dropping off some leftovers on her way to the market, and a messenger from Hinata with a dinner request had been second just after 9.

Through the open door, Neji heard Shikamaru grumbling as he went to glare at the visitor. The stream of complaints he'd expected, however, didn't follow.

"Welcome back. Do you realize what fucking time it is?" he heard Shikamaru ask before there was the sound of somebody entering their apartment. The door shut again.

"It's only a little before ten," a familiar voice defended, although it took Neji a moment to place who it belonged to. "Besides, I just get back from a month-long mission, and that's how you greet me?"

"It's a quarter 'til, and you're the third person who's come by today," Shikamaru sighed. "I hate getting up before noon even when I _haven't_ just gotten back from a mission of my own."

"Mission? This morning?"

"No, last night."

"When did you get to bed?"

"Two A.M. Got back at 11, but had to stay up and finish writing the mission report."

"What? Why didn't you just put off writing it until the mor--"

"Blame Neji, okay?" Shikamaru interrupted with a yawn. "He hates unfinished work. Come on, sit down. Do you need a drink or something? Why are you over so early? _You_ don't even like getting up before ten."

"Yeah, if you have some soda or something, that'd be great," Chouji replied, but his voice sounded hesitant. "Actually..."

"No soda," Shikamaru corrected. "Stopped buying it a while back."

"What? Why?" Silence followed, and from Chouji's following, "Oh..." Neji assumed that the Akimichi had been given a Look. "Well, water, then. Like I was saying, that's actually why I came..."

"For soda?" Shikamaru snorted.

"No! To ask about Neji."

"Yeah? What about him?"

"I was just wondering... well... we've all been noticing that he's been here a lot lately. I mean, I know that I've been gone, but before that, even."

"Your point?"

"Well, is he paying rent or something? Are you roommates?"

"No, and yes."

"Then... he's staying here for free."

"Pretty much."

"In a one-room apartment."

"Yeah."

"Shikamaru..." Chouji sighed. "Ino said you guys say you're not dating, but... you know this looks really, really weird, right?"

"So?"

"Is he here?"

"Yeah, he's still sleeping."

"In your bed."

"Uh-huh."

"Do you sleep on the couch or something?"

"Are you crazy? Of course not. I _like_ my bed. Paid good money for it."

"Shikamaru!"

"Christ, _what_?"

"You can't just-- just--"

"Just _what_?"

"You can't just be sharing a bed with someone and not expect everyone to think you're s-- _sleeping_ together or something!"

"Your point being?"

"But--"

"Look, Chouji--" The couch squeaked as Shikamaru took a seat beside his friend. "Have I _ever_ given a damn what other people think? It's nobody's business but ours, okay?"

"I know, but the rumours..."

"What rumours?"

"Well... Kiba thinks you guys are... um... you know..."

"Kiba's got his own non-relationship problems to worry about."

"And Ino's convinced you lied to her, and you really are dating."

"Lied when? From Hinata's engagement party?"

"Uh-huh."

"We weren't lying."

"Lee says Neji's really changed, and he thinks you're the cause of it..."

"People change all the time."

"Sakura thinks you guys are just in denial..."

"Sakura is often wrong."

"Hinata won't talk about it..."

"Hinata doesn't talk about a lot of things."

"Naruto says Hinata knows something we don't know, but she won't tell him, either..."

"When did you talk to him?"

"Well-- it's hearsay from Ino, but--"

"And I already told you Ino's wrong."

"So you're not s... s..."

"Sleeping with him?"

Silence.

Shikamaru sighed again. "I sleep in the same bed as him. We're not having sex, if that's what you're asking."

"You're... not?" The relief was evident in Chouji's voice, and Neji couldn't for the life of himself understand why that tone irked him so much. "Then what... what is he _doing_ here? Isn't he just taking advantage of you, staying over like this all the time?"

"Chouji, I'd be paying for the apartment whether or not he's over. What difference does it make if he's here, too? We get along well, and it's nice having somebody else around."

"But didn't you move out to _not_ have anyone else around?"

"I moved out to not have _mom_ around."

Unable to go back to sleep and starting to feel unsettled from the interrogation-- not to mention horribly embarrassed by some of the lattermost topics-- Neji pushed back the covers and got up.

At the squeak of the mattress, Chouji jumped and anxiously eyed the bedroom doorway. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and rose.

"Relax," he drawled to his old friend, disappearing into the bedroom. There were some quiet murmurs exchanged before both men came out, Neji now in a t-shirt and their usual capris. Shikamaru stuck to his shorts and robe.

Neji shot Chouji a wry look as they headed for the kitchen. "I'm not going to bite, you know," he said when the visitor fidgeted and avoided his gaze. "Is there something wrong with my staying here?"

"N-- no, of course not," Chouji mumbled. "It's just that... well... I wanted to know what was going on. I don't want Shikamaru to get hurt by what people are saying..."

"Let them talk," Shikamaru shrugged.

He turned on the stove to reheat some miso soup and began scooping rice into some bowls. Neji fetched a container of nattou and accepted the rice bowls, tucking some of the fermented soybeans into the middle. As he did, Shikamaru retrieved some grated daikon, mustard and soy sauce from the refrigerator and set them out on the counter before stirring the soup.

Chouji watched with a quizzical expression as they worked in effortless tandem. His brow furrowed, taking in a light touch to the older man's back as Shikamaru sidestepped him to get some chopsticks, and an easy exchange of quick smiles when they happened to catch each other's eyes.

The apartment was silent while the two men prepared breakfast, bringing it over to the couch on a tray. Shikamaru handed Chouji a bowl of nattou and some miso soup, assuming his friend would be as hungry as always, before settling down between the two brunettes.

Chouji remembered to thank them just before starting to eat. He was used to getting food from Shikamaru, but figured Neji would expect more courtesy. The three ate in silence for a while until, starting to feel uncomfortable, Chouji cleared his throat. "So you're really not dating, then?" he asked.

The other two paused and glanced at each other. Chouji's nervousness began to return as they seemed to carry out some sort of silent conversation before Neji finally closed his eyes, let out a breath, and looked away.

Sensing his tension, Shikamaru set down his chopsticks. He lightly grazed Neji's arm with his thumb, the small gesture hidden from their guest by his body. He turned to his old friend, seeming at ease despite Neji's discomfort.

"No... we are," he admitted to his old friend quietly.

Chouji's eyes went wide, but before he could speak, Shikamaru shook his head. "And no, I wasn't lying-- the last time I spoke to Ino about it, we weren't. It's been a... recent development. I'd rather you not tell her yet, though. We'd like to keep it to ourselves a little longer before she makes us the center of local gossip."

Chouji let out a slow breath. "I-- then-- but-- ... oh."

"Yeah."

They went back to eating in silence, although this time it was noticeably more awkward. When they finished, Neji collected their empty bowls and took them to the sink to wash a little later.

Chouji fidgeted some more before speaking again. "Well... you guys just started dating, right? It's not like you're in _love_ or anything-- nobody's expecting anything permanent this early on, so..."

Neji gave him a blank look as he returned to his seat. "Why would I date someone if I didn't think it would be permanent? Why waste my time?" he asked, a sincere confusion lacing his tone.

Chouji stared at him with his mouth hanging slightly open, wondering if Neji was serious. _He's too-- well, I know for a fact a lot of girls would kill to get their hands on him, so this doesn't mean he's actually... never... does it...?_

Shikamaru laughed quietly at Chouji's dumbfounded reaction. Neji scowled, hitting his arm sharply. "_What_?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

"Shikamaru."

"Neji."

"Why were you laughing?"

"I'll tell you later."

"You'll tell me now."

"Mm..."

"Shikamaru!"

"Yes, kitten?"

Chouji's head shot up in surprise. Neji's eyes widened in horror and his cheeks flushed instantly. He gave his boyfriend a violent glare. "I can't believe you just-- do _not_ call me that," he hissed, his fingers gripping the arm of the couch until his knuckles turned white.

"In public?" Shikamaru added with a smirk. "It's just Chouji, relax. I've known him forever."

"I don't care _how_ long you've known him!"

"He's not going to tell anyone. Besides, he's probably just as mortified as you right now. Right?" Shikamaru glanced back at his former teammate, who shook his head, nodded, and then paused in confusion.

"No, I-- I mean, well, yes, but-- I mean-- _no_! Not a word! Not a word to anyone!" Chouji struggled to get out. "I'd never--! Of course I mean-- I--" He stood abruptly, stumbling over in his haste to avoid the embarrassed Hyuuga's glare. "I think I have to go now!"

"Excellent idea," Neji agreed through gritted teeth.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and rose, showing Chouji to the door. He locked up, then found himself suddenly turned and shoved back against the door. "_Why_ did you call me that in front of him?" Neji snapped. "It's humiliating enough when we're alone!"

Shikamaru sighed. "So that I wouldn't have to answer why I was laughing with Chouji around."

"Was it that bad?"

"It would have been awkward."

"Worse than _this_?"

"Neji!" Shikamaru put his hands on Neji's arms, replacing them when the other man smacked them away. "Calm down, okay? He's gone, so I'll tell you. Just relax. Would I have said that if it wasn't the best tactic?"

"You've miscalculated before," Neji reminded harshly-- before instantly regretting it as a look of guilt flashed across Shikamaru's face. "Shik-- I didn't mean--"

"Yeah, you did," Shikamaru sighed. "But it's okay, you're right."

"It wasn't your--"

"Yes, it was," Shikamaru cut in. "I should have been more prepared."

"You had barely been made a chuunin, sent to go lead a mission with a handful of genin, without having a clue who the enemies were or what they could do," Neji stated firmly. "It _wasn't_ your fault. Honestly, if anybody should have been more careful, it was Tsunade for setting the parameters in the first place."

Shikamaru shook his head. "No-- no other chuunin were available at the time, we were all she had. It wasn't her fault, either. I should have been ready for anything, but you're right, we didn't have the information up front. We're just lucky you and Chouji were strong enough to survive." He felt Neji's arms relax, and pulled him close with a small kiss. "It's always going to be something I'm going to regret, but I'm not beating myself up over it, okay?"

"Nobody blamed you for it, you know," Neji murmured.

Shikamaru hesitated before nodding. "I know."

They stayed like that for a few quiet moments before a gentle nudge from the younger nin prompted a wordless migration to the couch. They moved together with a synchronization developed through months of near-constant exposure. Shikamaru dropped down onto one corner, but when Neji moved to sit beside him, he stretched out to take up the rest of the length of the couch. "What--" Neji began.

He gestured for Neji to lie down against him. "Too tired to stay awake, too lazy to crawl back into bed," he explained wryly, giving his boyfriend a small smile. "It's annoyingly nostalgic having so many people dropping in unannounced."

Relieved that Shikamaru seemed to have moved past his guilt for the time being, Neji didn't argue. He settled down with his back against Shikamaru's chest. Yawning, the younger man draped an arm casually around Neji's waist and closed his eyes.

"... Shikamaru," Neji called quietly after a few moments of silence. He knew from the Nara's breathing pattern that the other hadn't fallen asleep yet.

"Mm?"

"What was that about? Earlier, when Chouji was here...?"

"Why he came?"

"No, why he... gave me that weird look. Why you were laughing."

"Ah." Shikamaru sighed. "Because you think of dating as a waste of time if it's not permanent. It's very... traditional. No offense, but to our generation, almost naive."

Neji frowned. "Why is that naive? It makes perfect sense to me."

Shikamaru smiled. "I know it does. It makes sense to me, too. But you basically told him that you have no experience with relationships-- casual ones, anyway. The implication being that not only are you a virgin, but you don't pick up girls in general, and that not matching up with how most of the town sees you."

Neji sat up suddenly to stare at him. "What are you talking about? How does the town see me?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and gestured for Neji to come back. "Neji, think about it-- you're young, rich, smart and talented, and don't even try arguing with me because you know it and I know it," he interrupted when he saw Neji open his mouth to protest. Frowning, Neji lied back down. "You're easily one of Konoha's best-looking, and most eligible, guys around. Short of the couples who are already in committed relationships, practically _anyone_ would kill to get their hands on you."

"But I'm not even from the--"

"Nobody but your clan cares about any of that 'main family' 'branch family' bullshit," Shikamaru informed him mildly. "So the idea that it never even occurred to you to take advantage of your fanclub-- that kind of oblivion to what most of our peers are doing in their free time-- was ludicrous to him."

By the end of Shikamaru's appraisal Neji's cheeks were slightly pink again. He tended to think of himself as a diligent, dedicated ninja, and considered those his strongest points. While he knew he wasn't bad-looking, he never paid attention to whether people thought he was _good-_looking, either. Of course he saw the looks he got from women but they'd never interested him.

Perhaps that should have raised a few flags, but he'd always figured that his indifference was simply owing to his assumption that he'd forever remain alone, or that he would end up in an arranged marriage where he and his spouse would spend most of their time avoiding each other. He worked well with people when he needed to but he was perfectly aware that he tended to be standoffish. Even with the interpersonal skills developed over the past month, he was still very much an independent worker.

How any of that translated into 'attractive' to others, he couldn't even begin to comprehend.

As he thought, there was another knock on the door, quickly followed by a few more sharp, curt raps. Neji and Shikamaru paused, glanced at each other, and grimaced. "You get it this time," Shikamaru sighed.

"It's your apartment," Neji reminded.

"You live here, too," Shikamaru pointed out, "for the most part. And everyone knows that. So go get the damn door."

Neji reluctantly pulled himself from his boyfriend's light drape to get up and take his turn doing door duty. He checked the peephole and frowned, then unlocked and drew open the door. "Ino."

"Neji," Ino mirrored cheerfully as she brushed past him uninvited to drop over the back of the couch. "Hey, lazybum, here's your book back," she greeted as she dropped an encyclopedia on herbal antidotes onto her friend. "And I'm _bored_!"

"So?" Shikamaru returned without moving, letting the tome fall unceremoniously to the floor.

Ino made a face at him, peering over her shoulder to glance at Neji-- who had locked the door and gone to the kitchen to start dishes-- before looking back. "You know... you guys've been keeping to yourselves a lot these days."

"I've always kept to myself," Shikamaru reminded. "So has Neji."

"It's different, though!" Ino insisted. "I mean, it used to be that if someone asked me, 'So, what's that lazy Nara brat been up to?' I could tell them something-- well, you're on this-and-that mission, you seem to be into these kinds of books lately, you're hiding away from your mom, you're going to o-miais. But now, I don't know anything. It feels like the last time I saw you for more than five minutes was at Hinata's engagement party _ages_ ago."

"It's only been three weeks since then. Besides, isn't that your own fault? You're the one who always nosed around."

"Because you'd be available to nose at! You don't even go cloud-gazing at the park so much anymore, or to the shougi parlour, or anything!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Ino, we came out of winter not that long ago-- of course I haven't been to the park. Besides, I have a comfortable couch and open balcony here. Why would I go all the way out there to lie in the cold and stare up at drab, gray, winter clouds when I can do it from my own place?"

Ino leaned over the couch and gave Shikamaru's arm a semi-friendly punch. "Geez, you have _no_ life!" she complained. "It's like you're _married_ now or something, all holed up in your empty little sanctuary, doing nothing."

Neji blinked. _Married...?_

"How do you know I'm doing nothing?" Shikamaru drawled. "Didn't you just say you don't know what's been going on?"

"You're _you_. Of course you're doing nothing," Ino pointed out. "The most thrilling thing I can imagine happening around here is if Neji managed to beat you at _go_."

"We actually play _shougi_ a lot more," Neji corrected as he dried his hands and joined them by the couch. He didn't know Ino very well, but the idea of leaving her alone with Shikamaru... bothered him. He knew it was completely irrational, but having seen how the girl tended to flirt with every attractive male she knew, he couldn't help but feel rather wary of her.

"_Shougi_! Same difference!" Ino cried, exasperated. "That's not the point! God, it's so _boring_ here!"

"Boring...?" Neji and Shikamaru echoed in unison. They exchanged looks before Shikamaru grinned. Neji turned his head away as he bit his lip, clearly trying not to laugh.

Ino stared at them. "Okay, what's going on?"

"Nothing," Neji and Shikamaru chorused.

"Bullshit," Ino returned, narrowing her eyes. "Shikamaru..."

"It's just been an interesting month, okay?" Shikamaru sighed. "Leave it at that. _Please_."

"Why, what's been happening?" Ino went ahead and asked anyway. Shikamaru ignored her, and she frowned. "I haven't seen you around at all this past week so I assumed you were on a mission, but aside from that...?"

"It's a long story."

"I have the time."

"I don't have the _patience_." Shikamaru sat up and shook his head. "Ino, I'm tired, okay? You're right, we were on a mission. Neither of us was able to get much sleep, thanks to mom dropping in at seven-fucking-thirty. This is really, really not the time for an interrogation."

"Then what, I need to schedule an appointment to talk with you now?" Ino complained. "As if! But fine, I'll leave you alone. Geez, you're no fun anymore."

"I was _never_ any fun," Shikamaru corrected. "Not by your definition, anyway."

"Well, duh! You don't go out with friends, you don't party, you don't date, you don't dance, you don't even go out to eat!" Ino ticked the asocial traits off on her fingers. "I've seen _Shino_ around more than you. Him! The Aburame! The epitome of aloof!"

"Because Kiba drags him everywhere." Shikamaru frowned. "Ino, are you done yet? I'm sorry I've been absent lately, but really, today's _not_ the day."

"It's _never_ the day," Ino grumbled. "We should hang out again for old time's sake-- you, me, Chouji. Loverboy here can come, too, if you want."

Neji blinked. "Wh... what did you call me?"

The annoyed scowl on Ino's face finally slid away into a smug smirk. "Ooh, heard that, did you? Come on, _everyone_ knows something funny's going on here."

"Something 'funny'? I resent that," the brunette frowned.

"Ino." Shikamaru cast the blonde girl an even look. "No offense, but go away."

"'No offense', he says," Ino huffed, crossing her arms as she abandoned the couch to go over to the bookshelf. "You know that only makes me want to tease you more. Sooo, how far've you--"

"Ino!"

"All right, already, sheesh! No need to shout," Ino winced. "Well, I'm going to borrow one of your cookbooks."

"Go right ahead."

"You do realize I've been here for what-- ten minutes?-- and you're already kicking me out?"

"I'm tired. How many times do I have to say that? If it weren't too troublesome to bother, I'd barge in on _you_ the next time you get five hours or less of sleep." Shikamaru finally picked up the cookbook Ino had dropped onto him, getting up to put it away.

"I _never_ sleep that little. A girl needs her beauty rest, after all. You'd know that if you ever bothered to have a girlfriend." Ino selected a cookbook and glanced at Neji with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "But I guess you wouldn't-- apparently being into guys instead, and all."

"Whoever said that?"

"Your questionable friendship with the prettyboy Hyuuga here."

"Ino..." Neji growled in a low, warning tone, starting to feel severely irritated by her various titles for him.

"Mmhmm?"

"Ino. Beat it." Shikamaru turned her around and put his hands on her shoulders, leading her from behind to the door. "I promise I'll contact you later, okay? Right now, I don't want to do anything but sleep."

Ino swatted at his hands, sniffing as she stalked to the door. "Okay, I'm going, you don't have to push!" Shikamaru rolled his eyes and opened the door pointedly.

Ino waved. "I'll see you two around, then, okay?" Getting her playful glint again as she glanced at Neji, she tucked the cookbook under one arm, hopped up onto her toes, and unexpectedly placed a kiss against Shikamaru's cheek. "Bye!"

Laughing as Shikamaru stared blankly at her and Neji sputtered, she ran off down the hall, immensely pleased with herself for stirring up the young shinobis' assumedly mundane lives.

Shaking his head, Shikamaru shut and locked the door behind her. He turned and blinked to see Neji leaning against the back of the couch with his arms crossed, seething. _What's wrong with... ohhh._ Realization quickly dawning, he wisely stifled a pleased smile as he headed over. _Jealousy looks good on him._

"You do know she was only playing, right?"

"Does she 'play' like that often?" Neji spat unpleasantly.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and came to a stop in front of his boyfriend, sliding his arms around the older man's waist. He leaned in with a kiss, gently pushing Neji back against the furniture. "It was just on the cheek. She's like family-- believe me, she's not interested. Besides, she was just trying to get you riled up."

"Clearly, she succeeded," Neji drawled, hands resting against Shikamaru's arms. "The more that I'm exposed to her, the more annoying she seems."

"Oh, I agree-- she can be annoying as hell," Shikamaru confirmed. "But she's not really all that bad once you get used to her. She's a good person, anyway." He sighed and stepped back, tugging Neji with him toward their room. "Why are we discussing Ino? Let's just go to bed."

Neji's cheeks pinkened just the tiniest bit at how that suggestion would have sounded to anybody who'd walked in at that moment. He nodded and allowed himself to be tugged along. Just yesterday, the words would have been perfectly innocent and typical, but now...? It was all Chouji's fault, really-- putting strange ideas into his head, making him read implications that weren't there.

Come to think of it-- why _hadn't_ they... had... um... done... well... _ahem_? After all, they were two young, healthy, adult men in a committed relationship-- what was missing? Why hadn't he thought much about it before? He knew Shikamaru had been in... mature... 'relationships' before, so why didn't he push for anything now? He could justify his own inactivity as never having dated before-- what was making Shikamaru hold back?

How would they go about it anyway? Of course, they had sex ed in school; Neji could recite what bits went where in heterosexual copulation as if quoting out of a textbook (which probably would be the case), but between two men?

God, even thinking about it was mortifying. Maybe this was why the topic never came up-- it was so embarra--

"Neji?"

Neji jumped. He didn't know how long he'd been standing still, or how long Shikamaru had been calling him, but he found himself blinking into dark, worried eyes. "Wh-- what?"

Shikamaru furrowed his brow and brushed the back of his fingers against Neji's warm cheeks. "Are you okay? You feel hot, and you started spacing out."

"Oh-- no, I'm fine. I... I'm probably just coming down with a cold or something," Neji dismissed shakily. He pulled away from the gentle touch, wondering why his skin was tingling.

Watching him retreat into the bedroom without even noticing that Shikamaru wasn't following behind, the shadow nin tilted his head musingly. _That was... strange. What the hell was he thinking about that made him so uncomfortable?_

By the time he trailed in after his partner, said partner had doffed the t-shirt in favour of stretching out on the bed in just his capris, blankets halfheartedly draped over his waist. He was facing Shikamaru but his eyes were closed, and most of his hair was drawn over one shoulder to keep from getting caught and pulled painfully beneath him. A few annoying strands tickled at his cheek, earning a grimace as Neji brushed them aside with an idle hand.

Shikamaru smiled at the peaceful sight and set aside his concerns for the time being. Hanging his robe back up on the hook nailed into the door, he sank into the mattress and surprised his boyfriend with an unexpected kiss.

Neji stared at him. "Not that I'm complaining, but that was random. What was that for?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I need a reason?"

"No, but you're not one to act impulsively," Neji pointed out, although a smile tugged at his lips.

"True. Well, then-- you just looked good," Shikamaru smirked, kissing him again. _Understatement. He always looks good._ Ignoring that dry voice of logic, he settled onto his back and pulled Neji on top of him. Neji hesitated for a fleeting moment before giving in and settling against his chest. _That was strange,_ Shikamaru observed. "Something wrong?"

"No," Neji replied with a yawn. "Just tired." _And distracted, and a little confused. God-- listen to yourself, Hyuuga, you sound like a crushing teenaged girl, not a man._

"Right..."

"I'm fine, okay? Just annoyed that everyone decided today was a good day to drop in. Again."

_Uh-huh._ Used to Neji's tendency to close off again when lost in his thoughts, Shikamaru mused on how to ground him back in the present. He moved his hand to Neji's side and reversed their roles so that he was the one lying against the older man's chest. "You sure about that?"

Neji looked away, feeling uncomfortably warm again. He'd grown accustomed to Shikamaru's casual draping months ago-- why was he so hyperaware of it now? Cursing Chouji for putting strange thoughts into his head-- and Ino for perpetuating them-- he let out an annoyed breath. "Yes, Yoshino-san, I'm sure."

Shikamaru grimaced at being compared to his mother and her nosy habits. He kissed Neji's neck in apology, the gesture lingering but light. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'll leave you alone."

Drawing away, he dropped onto his back on his side of the bed, leaving some space between them.

This time, however, Neji was the one to pull him back. He smirked at Shikamaru's startled expression, always pleased when he managed to one-up the brilliant younger man. "Whoever said anything about moving?"

Chuckling as he relaxed, Shikamaru settled back against him again.

* * *

They managed to get another two hours of sound sleep in before finally waking up too late in the day to rest properly anymore. Well-- too late for Neji to rest, anyway, as Shikamaru had proven time and time again invincible to the wake-up pleas of cawing birds and bright sunlight.

Eventually deciding that they shouldn't waste the entire day, they got up, took their showers, and got dressed. Feeling much more human, they spent the remaining hours of daylight reading, chatting, and generally enjoying their rest without further interruptions from the outside world. They made simple sandwiches for lunch, but took their time putting together a more elaborate dinner.

At half past nine, Shikamaru was washing dishes while Neji flipped through his sketchbook when there came another sharp rap against the door.

They groaned simultaneously.

Drying his hands on a towel, Shikamaru reluctantly headed over to open it, muttering something about investing in a "Do Not Disturb" sign for the door. Checking the peephole first, he sighed and let his forehead drop against the wood. Stepping back, he unlocked the door and dragged it open a few inches. "What now?"

Alone this time, Satou gave him an innocent wiggle of her fingers as a wave. "Mom sent me to come get some milk. Well, she sent me to go _buy_ milk, but I don't want to go all the way down to the market and lug home a full gallon. So I thought I'd just bum some off you."

"The exercise would be good for you," Shikamaru pointed out mildly. At the obtrusive neighbour's familiar voice, Neji turned his attention back to the sketchbook.

Satou smirked. "Nah, it'd be _way_ too troublesome. You can relate, I'm sure. Two cups?" She held up a large, plastic measuring cup.

"You would need to get milk later anyway." Still, Shikamaru accepted the cup-- it took more energy to get rid of her than do as she asked-- and shut the door, grimacing when Satou automatically opened it again to peer in.

"If I put it off, mom'll just pick some up the next time she goes to the market. Hi, Neji," she greeted.

Neji didn't respond, having learned long ago not to encourage her into conversation.

Used to his silence, Satou rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Shikamaru instead as he carefully began pouring some milk. "Anyway, mom got this new set of recipes from Aunt Purin, and we've been trying some of them out. We've had mixed results right now-- obasan's got weird taste sometimes-- but if anything's tasty, I'll bring over a sample. Soooo..." She let her chattering trail off.  
The wicked glint in her eye went unnoticed by the two men completely ignoring her. Toying absently with the hem of her shirt, she continued, keeping her tone light and casual. "You guys screwing yet?"

There was a sharp clatter as the measuring cup tumbled loudly into the sink, followed by twin curses-- one from Shikamaru grabbing a towel to soak up some milk spilled onto the counter, and the other from Neji slicing his finger turning a page.

Satou stared at them, then peeked behind herself to make sure no other nosy neighbours were around. "Oookay, I didn't actually expect more than a glare, so either you just recently st--"

"_Satou!_"

"Hey, you're the ones who reacted!" Satou defended, looking back in. Neji scowled at her from the couch, face red as he held the bleeding cut to his lips. Shikamaru wrung out the towel and washed the measuring cup and his hands before drying them off against his t-shirt.

Picking up what remained of the carton of milk-- a little more than two cups worth-- he went back to the door and shoved both cup and carton at the startled teenager. "_You_ need to learn to mind your own damn business," he informed her in annoyance.

"I was just teasing!" Satou protested.

"Your 'teasing' goes too far more often than not," Neji opined from the couch, still horribly embarrassed. What was with everybody's minds being in the gutter? Was there something about it being spring that made people act so ridiculously twitterpated? First Chouji's paranoia, then Ino's taunts, and now this?

Satou stuck her tongue out at him. "Of course you'd think that, you still act so stuff--"

"Another word, and that milk's going out the window." _If not over your head,_ Shikamaru mentally added.

The younger girl made a face. "I get it, I get it! I'm going." She sighed. "You're only two years older than me, but you're a worse grouch than daddy. Man, if all guys grow up to be as intolerant and boring as you two, I think I'll go become a lesbian."

"You do that. Scram." Closing the door on her and locking it firmly, Shikamaru shook his head and stared forlornly at the wet counters. "One of these days, I'm going to strangle that girl," he commented conversationally.

"I'll cover you while you do," Neji offered, before following the other man's gaze to the kitchen. "... Was that the first time I've seen you flustered?"

"Was that the first time I've seen you clumsy?" Shikamaru returned, glancing pointedly toward the papercut. "Oh-- no, wait, there was that time you fell off the tree..."

Neji gave him a mild look at the reminder as his boyfriend headed over to perch beside him on the couch. Shikamaru reached out to take his wrist and pull it closer, examining the cut. "Not as bad as what I expected from the curse," he observed.

"I blame overexposure to you and your blunt, foul mouth," Neji informed him with a snort, tugging his wrist back.

With a playful gleam in his eyes, Shikamaru held on. Neji frowned, but as he opened his mouth to ask what his boyfriend was doing, Shikamaru drew the wounded digit to his lips and lightly licked off the drops of blood.

Neji's eyes widened. "That... that was morbid. And unhygienic. And..." He tried to think of another excuse, but his mind had become rather distracted sending a rush of warmth through his body at the sight of Shikamaru smirking against his fingertip.

"I'm sure that bothers you immensely. That's why you're blushing?" Shikamaru mocked lightly. Laughing quietly as Neji's startled tension was easily dispelled with a glare, Shikamaru gave him an apologetic kiss as he slipped an arm around his back and pulled him closer.

Not that Neji needed to be pulled as he fitted himself in his partner's arms, papercut and wet counters mentally pushed aside. _Ah, that's what we were missing all day,_ he mused self-mockingly, _a healthy snogging session._ He almost grimaced at the ridiculous words, but-- but--

Oh. Hmmm... dear god, what words were those again? Somehow, his ability to think coherently always seemed to flatline when Shikamaru nibbled at his lips like that.

Shikamaru grinned to himself as he brushed a hand up the brunette's neck, smugly aware of the effect that he was having on the other man. When they parted for breath, he tilted his head and began kissing down the other side of that lovely slim neck, tanned from their week spent in the sun and warm from his flush.

Neji almost jumped at an unexpected nip. His eyes widened. They'd kept their relationship very light, going no further than some deep kisses, so the sensation of lips and teeth working gently against his neck was... different. Not unpleasant-- not at _all_-- but while Shikamaru did that, what was _he_ supposed to do...?

Bite his tongue to keep from making an embarrassing noise, apparently. He did just that as Shikamaru began sucking, working on leaving a dark claim against the base of his neck. "Shi..."

"Mm?" Shikamaru murmured without detaching from his work, tongue pressing against the darkening mark beneath it.

Neji shivered, nudging at his arms a bit. "Hey," he chided, laughing weakly. "That feels funny."

"Only 'funny'?" Shikamaru asked with a soft snort, drawing back. "Thanks. Should I stop?"

Neji halted him with a hand against the back of his neck, smirking as he pressed their lips together again. "Whoever said anything about stopping?"

Chuckling as he relaxed, Shikamaru settled back against him again.

* * *

**A/N:**  
_obasan_: aunt  
_Aunt Purin_: purin "pudding"  
Shikamaru's so rude. XD  
So, uh, yeah. I've been debating this with myself since the eighth chapter or so, and while I have my inclinations, I still haven't 100 completley come to a decision. Smut scene or no smut scene? If yes, smut scene, then I'll put that next on AFF only, as a sort of Chapter 11.5 -interlude- or something; if no, then I'll proceed to chapter twelve.  
I know most readers are likely to just be like, "ZOMG LEMON!" but I'm issuing a fair warning that I've never really written adult content of my own like that, so it's bound to be weird. x.X And awkward and stilted. XD Possibly too sappy, or possibly too technical. Being asexual myself, I don't really have any idea what I'd be doing. So please take that into consideration when you cast your votes. XD

* * *

**REVIEWS:**

FIRST-- to everybody who reviewed the prank chapter 11, I'm sorry and thank you. XD I've never pulled pranks before, but I just couldn't resist! Never have I been so delighted to be called horrible and evil and crazy. Ohhh... fun stuff.  
Especially for those for whom it was their first time reviewing, welcome and thanks and I swear I'll never do it again. XD  
Annieme - OH MY GOD! You are SO brilliant! A BETA! That's a wonderful idea! ToT Thank you! mwah  
Ciar - XD Nope, I'm my own damn spammer. Thanks for the concern, though. XD  
Dying Dreams - At least the title warned you something was wrong! XD Most people seem to have honestly been taken by complete surprise.

**anabel sinclair:** "Finally" indeed. XD I like slow easing, too. Whirlwinds of passion can be fun in their own place, but fer crissakes, relationships aren't all getting swept off your feet. XD Thank you. n.n  
**Aarien-sama:** XD Thank you. And extra thank-yous for commenting on the illustrations! n.n -glomp-  
**rowanashke:** I'm glad my OOC-ing of Neji is gradual enough that it works. XD And thank you for the analytical review. n.n I do so love detail! -hug-  
**JaeFire:** :P I'm very glad that chapter ten made you that happy! (And I made your week two weeks in a row? WAHOO!) Also that you enjoyed Neji's train of thought. I was worried that I was rambling too much. n.n;;; Hee. As always, thanks so much for reading and reviewing!  
**Jibun:** I don't think I've ever made someone speechless before. : Thank you. n.n;;;  
**Helios:** Please don't die! The story's over in a few chapters anyway, hang in there! XD Ganbare!  
**they are ghouls:** The hard part for me isn't really keeping them in character, it's knowing what their character _is_. XD As you might be able to tell considering how often I avoid writing certain characters... heh. I really need to read the manga or something, but it's sooo loooong. And I'm terminally lazy. n.n; But thank you for your support! Happy reading!  
**I'mnervousabouttomorrow:** "Bloody potatoes" - that's an expletive I haven't heard before. XD I like it. n.n Thank you!  
**GIGA:** "cuz hell knows I need some cheering up" - Whatever problems you're facing, I'm hope they get better soon. T.T; -hug- n.n Always happy to offer some cheer!  
**Lady Mortis:** That's a reassurance, then. :P In that case, I shall keep using footnotes like crazy. n.n I have a few issues with certain parts of chapter 10 myself, but that's coming from the perspective of the writer who got stuck like, five times while writing it. XD Happy reading!  
**serenity:** Nagging is fine and unstressful as long as I'm not actually expected to update daily. :P Carrying ten editions of Playboy like that... kind of reminds me of Kakashi with his Icha-Icha. XD Mwahahaha. I would SO end up calling him Kaka-niichan. XD  
**Duchess of the Orient (1):** Omg, omg, omg, thank you for your pile reviews. XD That was a surprise to get, but very amusing. But if it really brought tears to your eyes and you're not just saying that to leave a nice review, then I'm unbelievably delighted to hear! (To read?) Personally, I still prefer chapter 9 over 10, but eh. XD  
**Duchess of the Orient (2):** Yay! I'm glad you like the illustrations. n.n Hinata was so-so to draw, but Shikamaru and Neji were fun. n.n  
**Duchess of the Orient (3):** "cardiopulmonary reanimation" - very technical, very nice. XD If you're a lunatic, then I likes me some crazies. :P And thanks for commenting on Shino and Kiba as well, although I wouldn't go so far as to call them ShinoxKiba... n.n; I don't have details planned, but I'm sure there will be more Hiashi-being-mortified-by-Naruto in the future. :D You do indeed sound very hyper in this review, though, so maybe chocolate isn't what you should be having... XD  
**Duchess of the Orient (4+5):** Daijoubu, daijoubu. XD I knew you meant Shino. And it really doesn't matter which chapter you review on, since I get them in the order that I receive them through gmail anyway. :D So no shooting yourself, onegai! n.n  
**BrevityOfWit:** "Definitely surprised me"-- really?? That makes me VERY happy. I worry that I'm way too predictable. XD It's also relieving that their actions and emotions felt real rather than static or forced... I love roleplaying, so that might have a hand in it. n.n I don't necessarily think of mother-in-laws as traps, but the smothering, super-maternal moms... very much a trap. XD As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!  
**kichijouji:** Thank you for loving it. n.n And for reading, and reviewing. XD Happy reading!  
**Kagome Raya:** -biiiiiiiig hug- I ADORE how you listed what specific things made you go into coughing-snickering-fits. XD I'm sorry you're still sick, but that's such a funny mental image-- "Heh. Haha. Ahahaha-- COUGHCOUGHWHEEEEZE-- ahahaha." But if you were wearing the silly, idiotic grin that Neji was wearing in my head when I wrote it, then the sap did its job. n.n YAY!  
**Wing It:** Ummm... once again, I said it all in e-mail. XD -hugs anyway- How are you? It feels like it's been a while since I've heard from you.  
**AttentionDeficitDisorder:** Simple but sweet review. :D Thank you! n.n  
**Love Psycho:** XD I liked how your entire review was about food. I prefer the vegetable dumplings myself, but I did grow up on the red bean. :P Pork curry dumplings are diviiiiine.  
**essenceofthedark:** ... I talk to you regularly, so there's not really any point saying anything here. XD Thanks, as usual.  
**Falcom:** Thank you, and thank you (x2)! n.n  
**Sanee:** Sweetness makes you shivery? XD Judging by the happy crying, I assume they were good shivers, then. n.n Thanks, hon!  
**YUE-KonahasWhiteFang:** Uhhh... I'm a Pisces, so I spend most of my time with my head in the clouds, daydreaming. And you're right, I don't really know CCS-- I saw an episode of it around seven years ago...? And it completely didn't interest me. But from what I've seen of it, I hate Sakura and I'd be more of a Touya/Yue fan. XD The only character I can actually remember liking was Syaoran and that blue-haired boy, if I correctly recall... Eriol?  
**wewilltakeyouwithus:** Thank you! n.n  
**yaoi ad-ikt:** It's okay, don't apologize! Wow, everyone really IS sick. T.T I hope you feel better by now! T.T!! -hug-goes back in time and offers you some tissues-  
**Uingusu:** -laughs- It's funny-- I prefer serious fics, and adore angst (with happy endings XD) but fluff seems to be what naturally comes out when I write. O.o But thank you, and thank you, and thank you! n.n  
**Snape Goes Commando:** Yes, your penname is very delightful. XD And yes, Neji decided that the Nile was far too cold and lonely without Shikamaru with him. n.n  
**shinidanie:** Merci pour la lecture ! Et j'ADORE votre arte !  
**GoldenKitsuneHime13:** The first? I'm so honoured! n.n I'm glad I was able to help get you into the fandom! YAY!  
**SaphirePhoenix:** -laughs- Kudos to you, dear, for leaving a regular, comprehensive review despite that godawful gag chapter! n.n Thank you!  
**JaeFire:** n.n; Ummm... here's more? And thanks for your warm welcome on LJ, too! n.n  
**Winterblazewolf:** Thank you! ShikaNeji is a grand thing to love. xD  
**Ice Amaranthus:** Your screenname is pretty. xD And-- yeah, two weeks. n.n; One beta reader sort of disappeared, while the other beta reader was gone for a bit on holiday. n.n; And then I just got lazy. xD -sweatdrop-  
**Faery Goddyss:** XD I'm honoured that Chrys was worthy of a re-reading. n.n -blush-  
**Luna:** O.o I'm being recommended? Uhhh. XD -blush- Well, thank your friend for me for getting you into it, please! And it's been so long, I keep forgetting about that prank chapter 11. xD  
**Bound2Darkness:** n.n Thank your friend on my behalf as well! And I'm always happy to hear I pulled someone into the fandom!  
**NejiKikyoAnimeRose:** n.n Thank you for your enthusiasm and love!  
**Chromde:** xD I'm glad not everyone hates me for chapter 11. Um... I don't think there's much of a plot, personally, but thank you? XD  
**xXxjustbecausexXx:** I'm sorry! I know, a lot of people have been waiting. T.T Sorry, sorry, sorry! I will try to avoid procrastinating on updating for so long again. XD  
**Rianne - ennaiR:** Your review just killed me. I was at work when I got it and read it, and my coworkers stared at me like I'd lost my mind. I love you!  
**GaBo0:** Thank you for your reviews! And no, the story's not completed. (Well, obviously, seeing as how I just updated. XD) As for what happened... ummmm, laziness and procrastination? Frustration? XD


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